Christmas With The Jones
by queenfluffernutter
Summary: Jack goes to meet Ianto's family. Join him as he learns what makes Ianto tick. Sequel up now - "Year of the Cat"
1. Chapter 1

Title: Christmas with the Jones Family - Part 1

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: What was that about a brother that never came around? Hmmm...I wonder...

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: This was written after a two week writer's block.

"Jack! Is that it?" Ianto called as he shoved the duffel in the back of the SUV and eyed the doorway to his flat.

"Yeah – I have the snacks right here!" Jack called back, locking the door before sprinting over to Ianto.

"Right – you know this is only a four hour trip, right, Jack?" He looked the older man up and down.

He chuckled. "Yes. But just in case..."

"In case of what? Paradox Clones?" The Welshman snuffled as he opened the driver's side door. "Not likely, sir."

"Not 'sir'; not this weekend." Jack reminded him, settling into the passenger seat and fastening his belt. "Maybe your family shouldn't know I'm your boss just yet."

"In title only, sir." Ianto deadpanned as he fastened his own belt and started the car. "And, please, be on your best behaviour."

"Ianto Jones, parents love me, you'll see." He flashed a smile his direction as he began to root around in the bag he brought. "You want something?"

"We aren't even out of town and you're snacking. Put that away. And don't make those eyes at me."

"Fine."

The next half hour was in silence, except for the Christmas music that was playing softly from the radio. Ianto was humming, thinking about the last time he had spent a holiday at home – almost three years now. And it had been equally long since he had spent any amount of time with the individual members of his family. He was always meaning to call them, but never quite got around to it.

"Are you going to talk to me at all?" Jack finally asked.

"I might." Ianto smirked. "If you promise that you won't do anything to throughly embarrass me."

Jack thought for a moment. "They _do_ know that we're dating right?"

"Not exactly." Ianto looked the other way as he answered. "That might be...weird for them. Too much to tell them all at once."

"Right." Jack looked at his hands folded in his lap.

"No, Jack, it's not like that at all." Ianto reached across to touch a hand, but Jack moved them. "I've only just told them that Lisa died."

Jack looked at him pointedly. "You what?!? Yan, that was years back!"

"Yeah, I know, but they weren't around. It was easier to...Why am I explaining this at all?" Ianto sighed. "So, what you need to know before we get there-"

"I'm listening." But he was more pouting that paying attention.

"My mum's name is Glenda. And she will try to feed to you bursting. When you're done, signal me and I will stop her." Ianto smiled.

This broke Jack out of his pout. "Home cooking?"

"Yes, from scratch. She'll have been cooking for a week now. Now, Tad. He'll want you to call him Ifan, but don't. Call him 'Tad' and impress him. Oh, and the same for Mum. Make sure you hug her when we go in and call her 'Mum', _not_ Glenda. No matter what Delwyn says."

"Delwyn?" Jack was starting to lose track.

"My older brother, but I doubt he'll even be there as he hardly ever comes home. Too good for us." Ianto snorted in contempt and continued. "But _always_ call him 'Del' – he hates that."

"Okay, so – 'Mum', 'Tad', 'Del'. Not so hard." Jack nodded in confirmation.

"The other two aren't hard either." Ianto gripped the wheel tighter. "I have two younger sisters – two years younger than me and meaner than bears."

"This sounds fun." Jack was up for a challenge. "What are their names?"

Ianto drew in a breath. "You're going to laugh, I'm warning you. So, do it now. Otherwise, the girls will think you are laughing at them and they'll spend the rest of the visit trying to get you back."

"Okay, I'm ready." Jack straightened and took his own deep breath.

Ianto stared straight ahead as he spoke. "Gwenda and Myfanwy." He chanced a look at the man in the other seat.

"No, really?" He was holding his hand to his mouth, trying to hold the laugh in. "You have a sister named Gwen?"

"That's right." Ianto was trying not to laugh at Jack trying not to laugh. "And one named Myfanwy."

At that moment, there was nothing more the men could do but burst out in laughter. Ianto was forced to pull off the road until they stopped.

"You never said anything when I named her." Jack wiped at his eyes.

"Why would I? She reminded me of my sister!" He put the car back in gear and got back on the road.

Jack ran through the family in his head. "Let me make sure I have this right." Ianto nodded, still watching the road. Jack counted on his hand as he spoke. "Tad, Mum, Del, Gwenda -"

"Gwen. _Never_ Gwenda." Ianto corrected.

"Noted...and Myfanwy. Should I call her anything different?"

"She _likes_ her name." Ianto thought about any other warnings he could give Jack, but only came up with one more. "Don't believe all the stories they'll try to tell you about me, even if they have pictures to back them up."

"Got ya."

"And we're here." Ianto pulled into the driveway of a house that could only be described as charming; exactly the type of home Jack had imagined he grew up in. "Didn't need those snacks after all, did you, Jack?"

Jack resisted the urge to stick his tongue out and opened the door. Before they were even out good, two blurry shapes attacked Ianto and knocked him to the ground. Jack went for the gun he usually wore before remembering he had left it back at the Hub. Looking down, he saw that Ianto had been pounced by two young women he assumed were his little sisters.

"Gwen, Myfanwy," he motioned to Jack. "This is my friend, Jack."

Both girls turned at the same time and looked at him. They looked so much like their brother that Jack gasped, giving them the chance to overwhelm him as well. As they fought roughly, employing the use of elbows, over who would be the first to hug him, he drew them both in and squeezed. Ianto grinned to the ground as they let out shocked squeals of confusion.

"Nice to meet you," Jack smiled down at them as he let them go and walked back to help Ianto up.

Ianto took the offered hand and dusted himself as Gwen and Myfanwy made their way back into the house, more than a little dazed.

"I thought you said there were no Paradox Clones." Jack whispered roughly. "You could have warned me that they were identical. To each other and you!"

"They look nothing like me." Ianto defended, his hands on his hips. "Let's just go in. We can get the bags later."

"Sounds like a plan." Jack smoothed his hands over his coat and fixed the collar, earning an eyeroll from Ianto.

"Best behaviour."

"Always."

Ianto opened the door to the wonderful smell of sweets. His mother stood by the stove wearing an apron, reading a cookbook. Jack was disappointed that she wasn't wearing heels and pearls as she did so, but hid it well.

"Ianto!" She exclaimed when she saw her youngest son and dropped everything to smash him to her in a crushing hug.

"Mam." His voice was quiet, but Jack thought he sounded as if he were on the verge of tears.

"You came." She held him at arms length before hugging him tightly to her once again. "Your father said..."

"His father said no such thing!" Ifan Jones came through the door. "The girls said you were here. And that you had someone with you."

Ianto eyed his father for a moment before going to hug him as well. Jack stood, watching, before the feeling of someone tugging him towards them. Glenda was dragging him into the same type of hug she had given her son.

"Any friend of my son's is as good as my son. Don't be shy!" She scolded Jack as she hugged him. "And you two get that stuff out of your car and into Ianto's old room. I won't have you out after dark dragging things in here."

"Yes, mam," Ianto laughed. "Heard from Del?"

"Delwyn might not make it, he's not sure." Ifan answered before his wife could.

"Oh, you know he's just saying that to get you riled up, Ifan," she admonished before turning back to Jack. "Well? Didn't you bring bags?"

"Yes...Mum." Jack looked at her, waiting for a response.

"Then go get them! We are going to hold dinner for you!" She swatted him on the butt as she pushed him and Ianto back out the door and shut it.

"She likes me," Jack was grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't get any ideas. You're too old for her." Ianto went to the back of the SUV and took out his bag, putting the two Jack brought on the gravel.

"Oh, don't get jealous." Jack tried to kiss him as he bent to pick up his luggage, but Ianto dodged him.

"Not now." He was walking back into the house before Jack could talk about it further. Jack shouldered the bags and followed.

"Show him where you'll be sleeping." Glenda said as she set the table for seven. "Then wash up and we'll eat."

"Right this way." Ianto said, grabbing Jack's wrist.

Jack let himself be led down a hall to the room Ianto had spent his childhood in. Only when he was inside and had set down his bags did he look around. On the walls were movie posters and pictures. There were a few academic trophies on a shelf along with some books, but the item that struck Jack as the funniest was the bed. Well, to be more correct, beds. Bunk beds.

"I get to be on top," Jack smirked, nudging Ianto when he didn't smile. "Come on, you know that's funny."

Ianto smiled, though he had tried not to. "You're right. Let's get washed up and downstairs before Mam has a fit." He set his own bag on the lower bunk and winked at Jack.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Christmas with the Jones Family - Part 2

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: What was that about a brother that never came around? Hmmm...I wonder...

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: This was written after a two week writer's block.

After all the dinner dishes were cleared, everyone gathered in the living room to sit in front of the fire and talk about Christmas seasons passed. There were plenty of stories of first bicycles and heads torn off dolls. Glenda had made eggnog and Ifan had added just the right amount of rum. Jack was taking it all in, watching the Jones family interact, when there was a loud noise at the door and a figure stood, smiling. From either side of Jack, the girls streaked over to the missing brother and all but bowled him over.

"Gwen! Myfanwy!" A voice similar to Ianto's called out as he got the two in brotherly headlocks and dragged them back to the couch. "Miss me?" The man looked like Ianto - if Ianto were much more confident of himself.

"You made it!" Mrs. Jones was out of her chair and around her son as he tried, helplessly, to get away.

"Good God, Glenda! Let the boy breathe!" Mr. Jones pulled him out of her grip for his own quick embrace. When he had released him, Delwyn looked over to Ianto.

"What? Nothing from you?" Del put on a pout and walked toward his little brother, arms outstretched. "Come give us hugs."

Ianto put his foot out and pushed him back. "Don't, Del." Jack saw something pass between them.

"Come on, Yan..." He threw himself on top of the man and embraced him roughly, an act which ended in a headlock as well.

Jack kept himself from launching himself at Delwyn when he got the look from Ianto, but sat at the ready. It was only a matter of time before big brother noticed the man between his sisters.

"Who's this, Yan?" Delwyn maneuvered himself back up to standing and offered a hand. "Delwyn Jones."

Jack took the offered hand and shook it. "Jack Harkness."

"Right." Del sized him up before turning back to where his parents sat. "Am I too late for the traditional game of Sardines?"

"No, we aren't playing that this year, Del. We're too old." Ianto protested, waving his hands and standing.

"What's 'Sardines'?" Jack asked Gwen.

"You never played it?" She perked up and leaned toward him.

"And he never will." Ianto said flatly. "At least not here."

"Don't be a spoilsport!" Myfanwy waved at him, turning to Jack. "It's time you played!"

Gwen explained, "It's like hide-and-seek, but there is one hider and lots of seekers."

"Sounds good so far." Jack spoke to the girls but looked at Ianto. Ianto tried to hide his blush.

"If you find the hider you have to join them in the hiding spot until there is only one seeker left and they lose," Myfanwy said.

"But how is that..." Jack frowned.

Delwyn smiled."In the end you wind up crammed in a tight spot like......wait for it......sardines!"

"Sounds good." There was that dangerous smile of Jack's. "Who is the first hider?"

"Not so fast!" Ianto waved his arms around. "We can't play this! Jack will cheat! He always cheats!"

"Ianto, I prefer to call it creative winning. Now, who is the hider?" Jack stood.

"I nominate Jack!" Gwen called out and her twin seconded. Ianto hid his face behind his hands.

"All right – all I have to do is hide, right?" He sat and began to take his shoes off.

"JACK!" Ianto flew at him. "What are you doing?!"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Taking off my boots. Makes it easier to fit into small spaces. Calm down."

"Right, right." Ianto ran his hand through his hair, making Jack and Delwyn chuckle.

Soon, Jack was hidden and the Jones siblings were searching the house for him. He had wedged himself under one of the girl's beds and the coverlet was hiding him nicely. He heard the footsteps coming down the hall, but none stopped. He heard them laughing as they went from room to room. He was holding in a laugh when someone lifted the coverlet and peeked in. It was Delwyn, and, without saying a word, he got on his belly and slid in beside Jack, tilting his head to face him.

"Found you," he whispered, a sly smile. "And they will eventually. Seem to think you headed outside. Good job closing that door."

"Thanks." Jack tried to turn his head, but got his hair stuck in the bed springs. "Ouch."

"Want help?" Del reached forward, but Jack ripped his own hair out in an effort to avoid him. "Okay then."

"Stop talking or they'll find us." Jack told him.

"Interesting that you don't want to be found yet."

"Yeah, well, that's the game, isn't it?"

"Got me there." Del was silent, watching Jack's face as the footsteps returned.

Jack resisted the urge to call out, wanting someone else to be there in that tiny spot with him, any one other than Delwyn Jones. As the sounds got further this time, Jack closed his eyes.

"You and Yan are cute trying to not look like a couple." Jack's eyes shot open. "No need to worry. No one else saw it. The girls are probably fighting over who's going to sit next to you at breakfast right now."

"How did you..."

"Why do you think I don't come around so often? You think I want Mum and Tad knowing my business? No way. Especially not after golden boy Ianto brought home Lisa and let them talk him into asking her to marry him." Delwyn visibly shuddered. "Never liked her..."

Jack had to agree with as much of a shrug he could make wedged under a bed with another grown man. "You aren't going to rat us out are you?"

"And risk having you tell on me?"

"Point taken."

They were laughing a few minutes later when Ianto's shoes poked under the bed and narrowly missed kicking Jack in the lip.

"Hey!" Jack yelped.

Ianto's face appeared under the coverlet and he frowned to see Delwyn already under there. "What are you doing?"

"Hiding, duh. Ianto, I thought you were smarter than that."

"Del..."

"Get under here before they find us!" Jack grabbed at him and pulled him under.

"What was going on before I got here?" Ianto sounded mad.

"I was snogging him senseless." Del answered as Jack went to open his mouth.

"Del!" Ianto turned his head and caught his hair in the springs. With a yelp, he pulled it free. "Dammit, Jack, what is going on?"

"I know a secret..." Jack sing-songed.

"Shut up! We'll be caught!" Del tried to kick Jack, but got Ianto.

"Dammit, Del!" Ianto kicked him back.

"Yan, kiss me." Jack whispered, suddenly in Yan's ear.

"Why would I do that?" Ianto thought Jack had finally lost his mind.

"If you don't, I will!" Delwyn told him with a smile.

"What have you done to my brother?!?" He turned back, this time not noticing the hair that was pulled out as Jack drew him into a kiss.

"He didn't do anything to me – even though I asked nicely." Del told him.

Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack, who just smiled and nodded. "Del, why the hell didn't you say something?"

"What? And have them freak out? These are Glenda and Ifan Jones we are talking about, remember?"

"True."

"Shh..." Jack warned, but he was too late as there was a sudden weight on the bed, forcing the box springs down on the men under the bed.

"FOUND YOU!" Gwen and Myfanwy chorused in between giggles.

"Good – now we can get out!" Jack was the first to slide out, leaving the brothers alone for a moment.

Ianto looked at his big brother. "Thank God that Jones is a common name, huh?"

"Yup," Del pushed himself out and offered a hand to Ianto.

Ianto was dusting himself off when Mrs. Jones called down the hall to tell them that it was time for hot cocoa and caroling. The girls were on either side of Jack and yanking him out the door before he could stop them.

Delwyn turned to Ianto. "Promise me you won't tell."

"I won't if you won't," Ianto agreed.

"Good." They hugged. "But, Yan?"

"Yeah, Delwyn?" Ianto stepped back.

"If you get tired of Jack, give him my number?"

"You couldn't handle him..." He left his older brother standing with his mouth open.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Christmas with the Jones - Part 3

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: Later on that night, there is cocoa and conversation.

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: Continuing on what I created in "Christmas with the Jones Family".

"This is good." Jack complimented, looking at Mrs. Jones as he drained the mug. "Now I know where your son got his excellent coffee skills."

"Is that 'skills' with a 'z'?" Delwyn asked the room as he looked at his little brother.

"Shut up, Del." Ianto looked into his mug.

"Thank you, Jack," Glenda said, giving 'the look' to her sons. "It's a family tradition. What do you and your family usually do?"

Jack cleared his throat before answering. "I...uh...we..."

"Jack doesn't have any family, Mam." Ianto provided. "They're all gone."

Gwen and Myfanwy reached over at the same time to pat him. "Poor thing," they chorused, shooting each other eye-daggers when they realized it. Jack was amused to see how all the Jones children could speak with their eyes.

"Enough to go around girls," Jack joked as he hugged them both close.

"Well, then, Jack, consider yourself a part if ours." Glenda nodded over to her husband, who returned the nod. "Tad says so too."

"Thanks." Jack felt a lump in his throat.

"I always wanted a big brother!" Delwyn crossed the room and jumped into Jack's lap, planting kisses on his face like he was wont to do to Ianto.

"Delwyn Jones!" Glenda scolded, dragging him off Jack by the ear. "Knock it off."

Ianto chuckled behind his hand, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out.

"That's okay, Yan, you're a ghost." Del wrapped his arms around their mother like a small child, sitting on the edge of her chair as he did so.

"Mam?" Ianto pleaded. "Make Del stop." He sighed, thinking they were old enough that he wouldn't do that anymore.

"Delwyn!" Mrs Jones smacked her son on the arm. "Stop it."

"Stop what, Mam? I can't help it if Ianto is a ghost." He smiled at her.

Jack felt a shiver go through him at the thought. How many times he had almost lost him? He wanted nothing more to hug him, seeing the hurt on his face.

"But I'm not!" Ianto sounded like he was five again. "I'm not a ghost. Knock it off, Del."

"Whatever...ghost."

"Look," Ianto stood, setting his mug on the table. "I don't have to do this. Mam, I'm going to turn in early."

Del went to stand beside him. "Amazing." He acted as if he were putting his hand through him. "My arm goes right through him!" He bumped roughly into him. "Yet, I can't _walk_ through him."

"Del!" His mother swatted at his butt with her slipper. "Leave him alone."

"But wasn't it sad about Yan? He was so young, so full of life." He addressed the room in a eulogy. "He probably never even saw what hit him." Del put on a comic sad face.

Jack let out a funny noise, causing the girls to look at him, but he waved it off as a hiccup. Under normal circumstances, this might be a funny game, one he would have played with his own little brother, but, knowing the truth, it just wasn't funny anymore.

"Leaving now." Ianto informed them, leaning to kiss his mother on the cheek. "Good night."

"Yan, don't." Gwen pleaded. "He's just doing that because he knows it bothers you."

"Mam, did you just feel a cold rush of air brush your cheek?" Del was gesturing theatrically.

"And unlike when we were kids, I can walk away. Besides, it's been a long day." Ianto walked to the hallway. "Jack, visit as long as you want, I'm out."

"Yan!" Myfanwy chased him, but not before she socked her older brother. Hard. "Ass. You didn't have to do that!"

"What? You used to think it was funny." He beamed at her.

"Yeah," Gwen answered. "When we were kids. Grow up." She stood and pulled Jack to his feet. "We have to go check on him."

"He said he was going to bed," Del pointed out. "He'll be fine. Right?"

"Del, you're a jerk." Gwen yanked Jack down the hall with her, not giving a chance to do more than shrug at Del.

"But you love me!" He shouted after them. No one turned around as they made their way to Ianto's bedroom.

Myfanwy was already there, trying to calm Ianto down. He was pacing and running his hand through his hair. "He didn't mean anything, periadd boten, he's just being Del," she sat on the bottom bunk.

"But why does he have to be Del?" Ianto slumped in front of her.

"Because he can't be you." Gwen said, coming in to hug him. "And that kills him."

"He's always hated me." Ianto put his arms around her and they began to rock together. "I don't understand what I did to him."

Jack watched, leaning a hip on the doorframe, arms crossed, not saying a word as the slow dance continued.

Myfanwy joined them, and they made room for her. "You had the nerve to be born. That was enough for Del."

"But he doesn't hate you two." Ianto mumbled, burying his face between the two of them and inhaling the combined smells of his little sisters, the smells that always reminded him of home.

"Who could?" Myfanwy joked with a smirk in Jack's direction. Jack cast his eyes downward. "Hey, do you remember the story you used to tell us when we'd have tea parties? The one about the pastry king?"

Ianto chuckled. He hadn't told that story in years. "Yes."

"Will you tell us?" Gwen asked, excitement creeping into her voice.

"Sure," Ianto nodded, releasing them. "Jack, come in and sit with them. Stop standing there like – well, a _ghost_ - we all see you." Ianto smiled warmly as Jack sat the only place the girls would make room for him – between them.

"Everyone, close your eyes and hold out your hands." Ianto instructed, deadly serious. "I have a story to tell you. And it's all true." They did as instructed. "And, Jack Harkness, get that grin off your face..."

The girls opened their eyes briefly to see him grinning broadly, their brother doing the same. "Close them!" Ianto commanded. "Now, as you may or may not know, up above my window, in the little eave just there, there lives a miniature pastry king and his wife. If you were to look up there, all you would see is their furniture, for they are fast enough to run from most people – but not me. I can see them and have, many times. I have been invited to tea." He stopped to look at his audience. All three were suddenly serious. "His specialty is blueberry pie, but he makes all sorts of fruit tarts and pastries – any type you heart and mind could imagine, all with the flakiest crusts you could ever hope to place in your mouth. The taste lingers for days, leaving you wanting more."

Here he paused, moving to the spot he was talking about. He let out a small gasp when he saw that the doll furniture he had placed there many years ago was still there. "They're still here?" He was near tears as he ran back to the bed. "You never moved them in all this time?"

"Mam said not to disturb the Pastry King. How could we? We never saw him, but we could smell the blueberry pies," Gwen opened her eyes to tell him.

"We would come in here to sleep when you were in Uni. We never told you," Myfanwy added.

Jack had his eyes shut still, not wanting to lose the fantasy. Ianto smiled as he motioned for the girls to do the same so he could continue. "And since they still live there, I'll bet I can get some treats." He moved back to the eave and whispered before coming back to them. "Now, I got them, but they are so flaky that I need you to open your mouths so I can feed it to you. Can't have a mess." They all did what they were told and Yan fed Gwen first, who chewed dutifully.

"This is wonderful! I can taste it, just like it used to be!" Gwen looked five, and not the twenty-six years she was.

Moving on to Myfanwy, he skipped over Jack. "Myfawnwy." He watched her open her mouth before taking a hefty bite and chewing. "Yan! Yan! It's like I remember!" She was waving her hands in a flail.

"It should." He whispered. Stealing a glance at his sisters to see that they were thoroughly caught up in the game. They were still chewing when he got to Jack. "Jack," Ianto called softly, a mere few inches from his lips. The lips he hadn't had the chance to kiss since they got here.

"Yes, Yan?" He whispered.

"Here," Ianto leaned in and softly kissed his lips, but Jack had other plans. He seized the back of Ianto's head and drew him as close as he could. Ianto broke it quickly when he remembered that the twins were on either side, but they didn't seem to notice.

"Mine was the best." Jack grinned, his eyes heavy-lidded as he opened them.

Gwen looked over at him. "You're just saying that to make us jealous," she teased.

"I agree." Myfanwy picked up the pillow behind her and hit him in the face, causing him to fall back.

Ianto laughed as they pummeled Jack with pillows. It wasn't until Jack stood and grabbed the pillow off the top bunk that he stopped laughing. "No!" Ianto attempted to run, but they were on him. He was trying to fend off blows when he managed to get the pillow Jack was using. Jack quickly got a replacement, but not before Ianto got a few good shots in himself. Then, without warning, there was another player.

"I'm sorry Yan," Del called as he hit Myfanwy in the face hard enough for her head to whip back.

"Ouch, Del!" She kicked him in the shin and he dropped to the floor, catching her knee as he went.

"And?" Ianto leapt back as Myfanwy made a grab for his arm, but wasn't fast enough. He landed heavily, partially on Del.

"And you're not a ghost," he conceded as Gwen got in the mix. "Get off me, gremlin!"

Gwen frowned and bit his arm. Soon, there was nothing but a tangle of Jones siblings on the floor. Jack was getting the impression this was quite normal for them. He watched as they rolled around, laughing, wanting nothing more to join in. He didn't have long to think about it, however, as what could only be described as a wave of Jones swept over him, dragging him down. They were still scuffling when Glenda and Ifan Jones stood in the doorway, quietly holding hands.

"It's about time to get off to sleep." Ifan suggested. "We have a lot to do tomorrow, don't we, Mam?"

Glenda nodded. "We do at that, Tad. Off with you all."

"Awww, Mam." The chorus rose, and she smiled down at the five faces looking up at her with nothing but love.

"Fine. Bunk in with Delwyn, but no rough-housing."

"Yay!" The girls got to their feet and ran across the hall.

"No, wait! Don't...jump..." Del was close behind.

"What is that about?" Jack asked as he and Ianto got to their feet.

"Another tradition," Ianto explained, going to the suitcase to get pajamas. "We all like to sleep on Del's bed. It's huge – it was our Gran's."

"Ahhh...so, it's time to change for bed, huh?" Jack looked at Ianto.

"Yeah," Ianto said, glad that the day was finally over. "And you forgot to pack pajamas, didn't you?" He reached back into his own bag and brought out a pair for Jack.

"You know me too well." He took them and started to take off his shirt before Ianto stopped him. "Close the door."

"Right, forgot about the Wondertwins." He grinned and walked to the door. "How long do we have before they come looking for us?"

"Not long enough. Get changed and you'll at least get a cuddle." Ianto winked. "I'm sure Myfanwy and Gwen are dying to get their hands on you."

"They're cute kids, but they aren't the Jones I'm interested in." Jack said, moving closer to him. "I liked your story, by the way – any chance of a repeat tasting?" Ianto was moving closer, despite the fact that he had told Jack to wait.

"Maybe," Ianto whispered. "You know, I believed that for years. I'm the one who put the furniture up there." He suddenly snapped back, mindful of where he was. "Do you want to see it?"

"You'd show me?" Jack was flattered.

"Of course, Jack." His words were gentle. "I want to share it all with you."

Before he could show him the eave, the girls swept in in their pajamas. "You guys coming?"

"Sure," Ianto answered, his sisters once again pulling Jack along with them, leaving him to follow.

Once in Delwyn's room, they snuggled together in the oversized bed. Jack had to admit, this was his preferred way to fall asleep. Just as they were dozing, Jack looked over the twin laying to his left to Ianto. "Yan, what was it that Myfanwy called you earlier?"

"I called him 'periadd boten', Jack," the twin to the other side mumbled, burying herself further into his back.

"Periadd boten?" Jack mused. "That's...something to do with dumplings, right? Mellow dumpling?" Jack was confused.

"Sweet pudding, Jack," Gwen clarified, a mumble into his chest. "Our Mum has called him that forever."

"Really?" Jack reached over her to pat Ianto. "Goodnight, sweet pudding."

"Goodnight, giant jackass," Ianto said as he drifted off.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Christmas with the Jones - Part 4

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: Breakfast doesn't go quite as planned.

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: Wow. So, this part was NOT supposed to go like this. The characters hi-jacked my brain! On the up side, what I had planned for this part can go in the next one instead...

Jack woke up to the smell of bacon frying. His stomach demanded that he be fed that instant or there was going to be trouble. Untangling himself from the limbs of the Jones siblings was tougher than he thought. One of the twins opened one eye and peered at him as he crawled over her.

"Morning," she yawned, barely opening her eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Magnificent." He was halted in his movement by the sound of the other twin, Jack cursed himself for not being able to tell who was who.

"Jack," she whined. "Come back. You're warmer than Ianto..."

"In a bit." Jack promised and the hand fell from the back of his shirt.

Jack stumbled in a haze to the bathroom and found a male figure with his back to the door, brushing his teeth. Smiling like a wolf, Jack swooped down on his prey, seizing him by the shoulders and pushing his face into the man's neck for a love bite. "You have no idea what I am thinking right now. I just woke up between two of the most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure to know and now I find you here? Christmas has come early for me." He breathed into the neck before him, kissing gently.

The man groaned. "That's nice, Jack."

Jack stopped, frozen with the eyes looking at him in the mirror. "You're not Yan!" He let go of Del as quickly as he could and backed away, still holding his hands in the air.

The older brother turned around. "And here I thought Christmas had come early for _me_. Bummer." He smirked in a way that made Jack feel not so guilty about mistaking him for the younger. They were all but identical. The voice was the give-away.

"Del?" Ianto wandered into the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and dragging his feet. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing. Brushing our teeth." He handed Ianto a toothbrush and scooted over. "Weren't we, Jack?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jack took the toothbrush he had brought out of the case sitting on the counter. "Shove it, Del." He pushed his own way in front of the basin.

Ianto chuckled. "That's it, Jack, put him in his place." He winked at him as he tossed him the toothpaste. "But I heard you promise Gwen you'd be back in there. She's going to be angry at you."

"Gwen...right." Jack stuck the toothbrush in his mouth to keep from having to talk.

"You mean to tell me you can't tell them apart?" Ianto asked, shocked. "They're as easy to tell apart as Del and I are!"

Jack began to choke on the toothpaste and lunged for the sink. Del patted him firmly on the back, suppressing a laugh.

Ianto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the three of them finished up. "Time to go and pounce on the girls." Ianto grinned devilishly, dropping his toothbrush in the holder.

At that moment, Jack saw Ianto for the child he used to be. His grin was one of pure mischief and was mirrored by Delwyn. Jack felt his own face pulling into an insane grin as he remembered the pure joy of being an older brother.

"On the count of three then?" Del asked, looking over at the other two, who nodded wordlessly. "One...Two...Three!"

Three men ran out of the bathroom, pushing into one another as they tried to get through the bedroom door at the same time. They launched themselves onto the bed with the grace of jungle cats, bounding and pouncing and wrestling the sleeping girls.

"Get off me, Ianto!" Gwen squealed, grabbing a handful of hair.

"I'm over here!" Ianto called from the end of the bed where he was tickling Myfanwy's feet.

"Then knock it off, Delwyn!" She screamed, pulling the hair harder.

"I'm Jack!" The person attached to the hair corrected. "And that hurts."

"You probably like it!" Del accused, leaping on Gwen. "_Now_ it's me!"

"Jack, help!" Myfanwy called as she tried to wriggle away from Ianto.

Jack let go of Gwen and turned to Myfanwy. Ianto was turned from her, sitting on her knees, her feet firmly in his grip. Jack bent to tickle her and set pulled him down into a kiss. Jack tore away immediately and looked down at the smiling girl. "What?" she asked innocently.

Jack could only look down at her; no one else had noticed.

"Jack, grab Gwen's feet, I have an idea!" Del instructed a perplexed Jack.

Del positioned himself over her face and arched and eyebrow. "No! Delwyn, don't!" Gwen pleaded, but it was too late, the spit line was already starting. The girl thrashed, trying to get away, but Del held her wrists pinned to the bed as the spit got closer and closer to her. Jack watched in fascination as the man sucked it back up at the last minute, just before it hit her face.

"Gross!" Gwen managed to buck her brother off and he fell back laughing. "Jack!" She dove behind him and kicked Ianto in the head as she did so.

"Dammit, Gwen!" He dropped Myfanwy's foot and grabbed his head. Jack resisted the urge to kiss it better, but caught Delwyn watching him.

"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, isn't it, kids?" The voice came from the doorway. Five sets of eyes turned to see Mr. Jones. "Come on, Mam wants ya downstairs. Get untangled and go eat what she spent all morning making."

"Yes, Tad," all but Jack chorused. Ianto looked sharply at Jack. "Yes, Tad," he echoed, making Del laugh.

They trooped down the hall, still rough-housing a bit and were met by Glenda at the table, clearing away her and Ifan's dishes.

"Mam?" Del reached over his mother for a bit of bacon.

"Yes?" She frowned as he put the strip in his mouth.

"You seen Tad?" He reached for another bit, but Glenda caught his hand and smacked it, causing him to drop the next piece back to the plate. He leaned with his back to the counter, arms crossed on his chest.

"Last I saw him, he was headed downstairs. Almost done with his Christmas presents, I'm betting." She smiled. "He got a new fabric in and was thrilled. I think you'll be happy."

Ianto leaned over to Jack, "Tad's a tailor. We all get new suits."

"Are you going to sit or stand around gossiping all day, Yan?" Gwen pushed past him to her usual chair.

"Sit." Ianto answered with a scowl, noticing that there was no way that he and Jack would be able to sit next to each other, his sisters had that all taken care of.

"Del, please sit and quit picking, please," Mrs. Jones pushed him into a chair. "Now, after breakfast, we are going to make cookies. Jack, since you are a guest this year, you can help me." Jack's smile filled his whole face as he turned to Ianto, who gave him a suitably impressed look. Glenda Jones didn't let just anyone in her kitchen.

"Mam, I need to talk to you," Del reached across for a piece of toast.

"What about, son?" She went to stand behind Jack, piling food on his plate as she talked. Jack cast a sideways glance at the twins, who were chuckling at their mother's behavior. "Jack, eat. There will be no picking and it's a long time to lunch."

"Yes, ma'am," he looked up at her.

She set her hands on her hips. "Mam, not ma'am. I'm not your old aunt, ya know." But she was smiling.

"It's about..." Del never got to finish as Ianto kicked him under the table. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Boys!" She tapped Ianto on the back with the spoon she was using. "Not at the table."

"What the hell is your problem, Ianto?" Del wasn't letting it go. "You've been moody since I got here. Hell, knowing you, you got here that way..."

"Shut up, Del. You've never liked me, get over yourself." Ianto frowned at his plate and set his jaw.

"That's where you're wrong, little brother, I can remember when we were best friends." Del was being as stubborn as he was. The girls looked anxiously over at one another, ignoring the man between them.

"Yeah," Ianto snuffled. "When was that, Del?" He took a bite of bacon, but it had no taste.

"You honestly don't remember?" Del was starting to stand.

"Delwyn Robert Jones, you sit back down." Mrs. Jones warned, going to stand behind him, spoon still in hand.

"He started it." Del groused, "Let me at least defend myself."

"*I* started it? That's rich!" Ianto threw his head back in a blurted laugh. "How did I start this?"

"Do you know what it's like to have a perfect little brother? Do you, Yan?" Del had pushed his plate aside and was waving his knife around. The girls were buried in Jack's sides, his arms protectively around them, but ready at the same time to stop Ianto if he had to.

"What do you mean by that? I'm not perfect by _any_ means."

"Yan, you got everything you ever wanted." Del threw his fork on the table as a challenge.

"Bullshit! _You_were the one on the rugby team, all the friends. I had to work for every little scrap I got." Hot tears sprang to his eyes and he was out of the chair before Jack could stop him. Instead, he held the girls tighter, not knowing what would happen next. "_You_ always got the girl."

"Oh really?" Del was out of his chair now and they were circling each other. Mrs. Jones had retreated, knowing it was better not to get between them.

"I'm calling Tad if you two keep this up," she warned. "He'll set you right."

"Call him," Delwyn stated. "By the time he gets up here, I'll be done." He looked like a trapped wild animal, eyes darting everywhere, waiting to see what Ianto would do.

Ianto wanted nothing more to be holding his stun gun – or Weevil spray. Imagine the look on Del's face if he got a nose full of Weevil spray.

As he was thinking, it gave Del the advantage of grabbing a weapon – in this case a broom. Ianto noticed too late as the first blow hit him. He doubled over and saw that the mop was close by. He seized it as he was coming back up. "You wanna do this?!?" Ianto was backing him out the kitchen door and into the yard. "Let's do it!"

Glenda Jones looked down at Jack and he gently pushed the girls off him and followed them. But the girls didn't stay in the kitchen, they stood in the door, hands to mouths, watching their brother fight it out.

Even Jack was helpless as they beat each other around the yard, landing blows as they could, each with the wooden parts of their weapons. When Ianto got a particularly nasty jab in that knocked Del over and stood over him like an executioner, Jack stepped in and took the mop from him, throwing it into the yard.

"Yan, come on, you're shaking." Jack said, pulling on him.

"But I'm not done." Del shook his head as he stood, brushing himself off. "There will always be an unanswered question if I don't ask you now."

"For Pete's Sake, Del!" One of the girls called. "Let whatever it is go!"

"No, Gwen. Not this time. I have to ask."

Ianto steeled himself, shaking Jack off. "What? What is so important to you?" Ianto was panting from the effort.

"I have to know if you did it on purpose." Del wheezed out, his hands on his knees as he bent over. "Did you?"

"Do what?" He was confused now and looked down at his bare feet, his dirty pajama bottoms, as if they held the answer.

"Back when I was in Upper Sixth and you were in year 8, there was a girl. Do you remember her?" Del wore a very serious look.

"Becca Dunham?" Ianto remembered. "What about her?"

"She's getting married," Gwen supplied.

"Not helping," Jack scolded, and she bit her lip.

"Yes, Becca." Del agreed. "Why did you go out with her when you knew I loved her?"

"I didn't know." Ianto looked at Jack. After all those years, finally he had his answer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** _Baking with Mam_

**Pairing:** _Jack/Ianto_

**Genre**: _pure fun_

**Summary**: _Baking cookies can't go badly, right?_

**Disclaimer**: _I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked..._

**Author'****s Notes**: I want to take the time to thank the **26** (OMGosh! Thank you sooo much!) people who set themselves on alert for this. Here goes: Candybree, Cara 'ch cariad, EmeraldSnakes, EriinR, FoxyRoxy123, FuglyJiminyCricket, Jennie-X, Latitude142, Luckylyn, Memphisyourastar, Orange Monkey 23, Rabbit-Moon, RudeAndNotGinger137, Sushi Chi, ThistleThorne, Yanca, bbmcowgirl, doctor-who-fangirl, evilpinkbutterfly101, jackforpresident, janto-gal, leezee, leonale, smileurhappy, tk-ane, and x-athenea-x - you guys encouraged me to keep going when I drew a blank on this chapter!

"What do you mean you didn't know?" Del walked up to where Ianto stood. "How could you not know?"

"You never said anything." Ianto told him. "I doubt she even knew."

"But I did. I loved her, Yan. And she only looked at _you_." His voice was one of a pleading child, his eyes pitiful.

"Del, be fair. I said I didn't know." Ianto pushed Jack back a bit. He wanted Delwyn to know he could fight his own battles.

"If you had known, would you have still gone out with her?"

Ianto closed his eyes. Becca Dunham. She was his first kiss. Knowing it would kill his brother, he answered the only way he could. "No." _Liar. _

"Thanks, little brother." And something remarkable happened. Del hugged Ianto. Without trying to get him in a headlock, without trying to squeeze him - nothing like that. It was genuine.

"Yeah, big brother, anytime." He fought back tears. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this. He chanced a look over at his mother, who was crying, her hands on her cheeks. "Mam," he whispered to Del and they let go of one another to embrace her.

"Well," she dusted herself off after the hug and, wiping her hands on her apron, turned to everyone. "Now that that is out of the way, how about we finish breakfast and get to those cookies?"

"Good idea," Del said, slinging his arm around Ianto as they walked back into the house.

Glenda watched as Jack wordlessly picked up the mop and broom and walked in after them, placing them back in their places and taking his seat quietly. The girls were already there and chattering excitedly. Jack ate the food piled in front of him, lost in thought.

"So you say Becca is getting married?" Myfanwy chatted across Jack to her sister. "When?"

"In about two months," Gwen gossiped back. "To that icky man she met at Uni."

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Delwyn asked, shoveling food into his mouth.

"I hear she's up the duff..." Myfanwy added conspiratorially.

"Myfanwy!" Ianto yelped. "Not at the table."

"Might have been." She responded with a smirk very like the sly one that Ianto used. Jack noticed and smiled to himself.

"Young lady!" Glenda was shocked.

"Sorry, forgot myself." But Myfanwy wasn't, it was clear from the chuckle.

"But she _is_ getting married." Ianto whispered, thinking aloud.

"Her mother must be so proud." Mrs. Jones added. "Didn't her older brother get married last year?"

"Yeah," Gwen answered. "They are expecting their first – I heard it was twins!"

"You two are such gossips," Delwyn observed, "Don't go giving Mam any ideas."

"And what is that supposed to mean, young man?" She came out of the pantry, her arms full of the ingredients for the cookies they would be making next.

"Nothing." He looked at his plate.

"What is wrong with a mother thinking about her children getting married?" She came and stood beside the table, surveying it, hands on her hips. "There are four of you and no one has managed to do that for me yet." She cast a soft eye at Ianto, who looked sad for a moment, and then it passed. "And don't think you're off the hook, Jack Harkness." She met his eyes when he looked up. "Now that you are a part of the family, I expect the same from you. Surely _you_ have a someone special..."

Jack choked on the bite in his mouth and tried not to look at Ianto. "Yes, I do."

"Then, you bring her around. Make sure Tad and I approve." She nodded, not giving him any other choice in the matter.

Jack had to hold back a laugh as he answered her. "I'll do that, but I'm sure you'll approve just fine."

"Good boy." She patted his head. Jack held in the laugh at the horror that was spreading across Ianto's face. "Now you finish up and, after we get this kitchen clean, we'll be baking the family recipe cookies."

The only sound was one of chewing. There was no better treat than Jones Family Cookies, fresh and hot from the oven. In time, they all finished and there was a moment of cleaning off the table and washing the dishes.

"Delwyn, be a dear and get out the measuring cups. Jack, wash your hands. Gwen, Myfanwy, you can...oh, I forgot. Yan, be a darling and run next door to Mrs. Lloyd's, she said she'd let me borrow her cookie sheets."

"Sure." Ianto pulled on his jacket and walked out, still in his dirty pajamas, feeling a little left out as he heard Jack's distinctive laugh even as he was closing the door. It was a quick trip to the neighbor's house, and when she opened the door, she knew what he had come for and invited him in. He hadn't been in the house since the young couple bought it; the last time was when Old Mrs. Jones (no relation)

had needed someone to feed her cats while she was away. Now, it was a young couple with three small girls who lived there, and they all tumbled out to see the stranger who had been at the door.

"Who's that man, mummy?" The smallest one asked, her hair catching the sunlight.

"He's Mrs. Jones' son, MacKenzie," the young woman answered. "He came to get something for his mum." She handed him the cookie sheets with a smile.

"But why is he dirty?" Another child asked.

"He was probably playing outside with his brother and sisters." Mrs. Lloyd smiled at him for confirmation. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah," Ianto looked down, shuffling his feet before smiling a tight-lipped smile at the little girls. "Got to get back before they start baking the cookies without me." He waved and let himself be led to the door.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. I'm Anna, by the way." She reached out to touch his arm, a little too familiarly.

"No, this should be fine, thanks," Ianto blushed and hurried back to his parent's house. Outside, he could hear Jack's laughter still, and paused to see if he could tell what it was about.

"Jack!" Del was calling rather loudly, and then that laugh, the one that always made Ianto weak in the knees, the one he thought only he heard. "Jack, look!"

Ianto opened the door to find Jack and Del cutting shapes in the dough as his mother pulled the first batch of cookies from the oven. "Did I miss anything?"

Jack smiled at him and held up an anatomically correct gingerbread man. Gasping, he snatched it from him and crumpled it before tossing the dough back on the counter. Delwyn and Jack collapsed into giggles on the floor, prompting the girls to turn from where they sat at the table, arranging all the things they would use to frost and decorate the finished product with.

"Jack!" Ianto scolded, pointing his finger. "Behave..."

"Relax, Ianto. We were just cutting cookies." Del defended, recovering from laughter. "Mam, tell Yan to quit being mean!"

Glenda turned to the doorway. "Thank you, son! Go and see if your sisters need any help. This batch will be cool enough to start on in a minute." She turned to Jack and Delwyn. "As for you two – if I have to break any more danglies off my little men, you are out of here. Be nice!" She waved her finger at them, prompting more laughter.

"If it's all the same, Mam, I'd like to talk to go and change." Ianto set the pans on the counter and gave her a quick kiss before going to put something else on.

In his room, he closed the door and got out a pair of jeans and a rather plain tee, knowing that his family were not used to seeing him in the usual suits he wore. Jack was fitting in rather well, though. He had thought that it was going to be hard to get his family to accept him. But this was Jack, after all.

Ianto had yet to meet a being alive that Jack Harkness couldn't charm in some capacity. No longer mad at him, the Welshman went to check on his father before going back into the kitchen.

Ianto found him, bent over the sewing machine, watching as the thread magically appeared. "Tad," he called softly, but not so softly his father didn't hear.

"Ianto." Ifan looked up. "Come, sit."

He did as he was told, not wanting to break the silence, but knowing that he would have to. "Tad, how have you been?"

"Good," he didn't look up. "And you?"

"Fair," Ianto didn't know what to say now that he had his father's attention. He wanted to tell him everything – about Torchwood and Lisa. But most of all, he wanted to tell him about Jack. "I've been good."

"He's a good guy." Ifan did look up, catching his son's eyes.

Ianto frowned, his forehead creasing. "Who is?"

"Ianto Andras Jones."

"Tad?"

Ifan Jones raised his eyebrow. "As if you don't know who I'd be talking about." Ianto was speechless. "You boys and your secrets – you think I don't know?" Ianto's mouth moved wordlessly. "Just don't tell your Mam, she really wants grandkids..." He went back to sewing.

"If you knew, why didn't you say?"

"What could I say? Don't?" He looked up again. "If there's anything I taught you boys, it's to be true to what you are at all costs."

"Yeah," Ianto agreed.

"And I know things, Ianto. I'm not blind or deaf. I listen and I ask questions from the people who know." Ifan straightened the sleeve he had finished and looked over to his son. "Think that will fit your Captain?"

"Looks about right." Ianto smiled. He wondered why his father was still working on presents. His smile turned to a frown. "How did you know Jack was a Captain? We never said."

"I know everything." Mr. Jones smiled, "You should know that by now." Ianto smiled with him. "Now get up there and help your Mam, I suspect that Jack and Delwyn are driving her crazy right about now."

"Yes, Tad." Ianto stood and watched as his father started on the other sleeve of the jacket he was making. "And thanks."

"Go on," Ifan said, closing the discussion.

Ianto waved and went back upstairs to see if he could help. Jack and Del were now at the table with Myfanwy and Gwen, decorating as Glenda put another batch of cookies in.

"Thank goodness! Ianto, be a dear and help me cut these out – those two are banned from it." She motioned to Jack and Del, who smiled and waved to Ianto in unison.

"Sure," Ianto couldn't help but notice that Jack was now covered in not only flour, but icing as well. He even had an edible ball bearing stuck to his chin. "That's my specialty – coming in for the cleanup..."

"What's that?" Glenda asked, putting cookies on the cooling rack to take over to the table.

"Nothing." Ianto picked up the knife and cut out a star.

"Hey, Yan!" Jack called, "I made you a cookie!" He was waving around a sugar-man dressed in a suit, complete with pink shirt and tie and little edible ball-bearing buttons. "He looks like you!"

Jack was so proud of himself that Ianto had to laugh. "Yes, he does. Thanks, Jack."

"Can I see?" Del asked, taking the cookie from Jack. "Not exactly. He should be shorter." Del bit the legs off with one chomp. "That's better."

Jack looked like he was going to cry.

"DEL!" Myfanwy and Gwen shrieked as they leapt on him.

Ianto shook his head. Once Del, always Del. "The thought is still there, Jack." He reassured him. "And I liked it – very much."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: Buying presents for people you hardly know can't be that hard, can it?

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: Could not have done it without the help of Patelyne Trillian Alemp and scifigal2008. One prods me when I get Writer's Block, but I won't tell you which one.(teehee) Plus, sorry about the length. It got out of hand – it's much longer than I intended...Also, big thanks to doctor-who-fangirl, who gave me one of the lines! Those of you who have faved me and this story, thank you thank you thank you! You guys are the reason I write! Now, go on, read!

**-**

After they had helped Mrs. Jones clean the kitchen, everyone had gone to go and get dressed to go out and do last minute shopping. The girls laughed as they tried to decide what to get Jack, one of the last gifts they needed to get.

"What are you getting me then?" Jack asked as they walked down the hall.

"You'll see." Myfanwy stuck her tongue out at Jack. "Don't be so nosy."

"Quit it." Ianto said, pushing Jack into his bedroom and shutting the door.

"All you had to do was ask," Jack pressed against him as soon as the door shut. "I would have come in here without resistance..."

"Not here. Get dressed so we can get going." Ianto tossed him a change of clothes.

"Why do we have to go shopping anyway?" Jack sat hard on the bottom bunk.

"We didn't get gifts for everyone before we left. The Rift wasn't quiet enough for us to do it. Come on." He put his hands on his hips and stared at Jack, who, as yet, had still not moved. "Just get dressed."

Jack stood, trying his best not to pout, "Ianto, please, I've got all the stuff I need. The only thing I want for Christmas is to see you in my bed with a big red bow tied around your-"

"Jack! My parents are in the next room!" Ianto rushed over to put a hand over his mouth. "Get dressed so we can go out. Please."

"It's killing me, you know," Jack changed from his pajama pants into a navy pair of pants.

"You'll survive," Ianto assured him, watching as he buttoned the baby blue button up that really brought out his eyes. He stepped forward to help Jack with the suspenders he usually wore and risked giving him a small kiss, knowing Jack would want more.

"Come on, Yan..." he all but whined when Ianto pulled back.

"Be a good boy and we'll discuss." Ianto smiled.

"And how good do I have to be?" Jack was using his 'naughty captain' voice, trying to get the Welshman to play along.

"Very." Ianto said flatly. He wasn't going to let himself be sucked into a game now. They had shopping to finish. He went over the mental list he had been making since the day after last Christmas. Ianto knew what he was getting everyone, so he only had to help Jack pick things out. Originally, they had planned to gift together, but Ianto thought it was a bad idea now as it would make them look like a couple - and his Mam still didn't know. And based on what Tad had said, he shouldn't tell her anytime soon. "You ready?"

"Yes," Jack sat on the bed and pulled on his boots. "Can we at least get ice cream?"

"Jack." Ianto's hands were on his hips, but he smiled anyway. "Fine. If it gets you out of here."

"You love me." Jack smiled up at him, almost smugly.

Ianto sighed. "Despite my best efforts – yes, Jack, I love you." He was forced to smile back. "Now come on!" He pulled Jack to his feet.

They walked out to find Delwyn and the girls gathered in the driveway. Ianto shoved his hands in his pockets, unconsciously mimicking his siblings. "What's going on?"

"Mam says to take their car. I'm driving." Del twirled the keys on his finger.

"I said to let your brother drive the car!" Glenda called from the doorway, wiping her hands on the dishtowel. "Ianto, love, get the keys from him. I want my car to survive the shopping trip."

"Yes, Mam," Ianto tried to take them, but Del held them at the end of his arm. "Del, we're the same height now." Ianto neatly snatched them. "Doesn't work anymore. But nice try."

The girls giggled as Del opened the passenger door. "Shotgun!" He called, sliding in before Jack could, flashing everyone a smile that would have been downright creepy on Ianto, but somehow worked on Del.

Jack was crammed into the back with the twins, much to their delight. They talked about what they were going to be getting for their parents and what they wanted to get Jack, as if he weren't even there. And they dropped hints about what they would like. Jack noted that most of it had to do with jewelry, something he would take into consideration. By the time they got to the shopping plaza, Jack's ears were tired and his brain was full.

"We're going to split up." Ianto was fixing his gloves. "Del, you and the girls meet us back here at four. Any later and we're going to miss dinner and Mam would kill us."

"Right." Del looked at his empty wrist. "I'll set my watch then."

"Jesus, Del." Ianto sighed, taking off his own watch. "Don't lose it or sell it for scrap."

"Thanks, _Tad_." Del put it on and admired how it looked. "Four."

"We're not going with him," Gwen informed Ianto. "Myfanwy and I will be here at four."

"I have a watch," Myfanwy held up her wrist and smiled. "It's the one you got me last year, Yan!"

"Suck up," Del muttered as he ambled off.

"Meet back here!" Ianto called out again as they scattered. "Jesus. That must be what it's like to have kids." Ianto slumped his shoulders.

"It's worse than," Jack took his hand. Ianto tried to pull away, but Jack held it tight. "They don't want you to know what they are getting. Relax."

"You're right." Ianto leaned his head on Jack's shoulder. "Where do you want to start?"

"I was thinking – is there an antique store around here?" Jack took the opportunity to kiss Ianto on the forehead.

"Right down here. I'll show you." Ianto pulled him gently along.

"Hey, Yan, will you be upset if I ask if I can meet you somewhere in a bit?" He ran his free hand through his hair, "I want to get your gift."

Ianto was hurt for a moment. Finally, they had time to spend together. But he smiled. "Sure Jack. Two hours?" He looked for his watch, but his wrist was bare. Jack chuckled and took his off for Ianto. "But what will you use?"

"Vortex Manipulator." He pointed to the leather strap. "That's the only damn thing that still works on it."

"Then why do you wear this watch at all?" Ianto put it on his own wrist, noticing the leather strap was still warm. He had to make it tighter than Jack wore it and he laughed a bit. "Your wrist is bigger."

"Than?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Anyway, meet you in two hours." He kissed Ianto on the nose and ran before he could admonish him for it.

Ianto watched him leave and turned in the other direction, running over the list in his head once again. For Mam, a nice set of baking sheets so that she wouldn't have to borrow from the neighbor again. That woman made his seriously uncomfortable. For Tad, a nice aged scotch. He would appreciate that. The twins were simpler. Being chronic returners, Ianto would get them nice healthy gift cards. He supposed that Del had helped him with the dilemma of what to get him when he had not been wearing a watch. Nothing too fancy mind you, but a classy watch would be the perfect gift for his older brother. Better than the desk set that he had been thinking he would have to get him. Then there was Jack. Ianto had been working all year on Jack's so that was no problem. He just hoped that Jack would like it. The more he thought about it, the more he worried. He was still thinking about it when he bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," he said, head still down. "I wasn't watching and-"

"Ianto? Ianto Jones?" The female voice that spoke sounded vaguely familiar as Ianto let his eyes drift back up.

"Oh!" He put his hand to his mouth automatically. She was the last person he expected to see today. "Becca?"

She did a bit of a small curtsy and smiled. "In the flesh. How are you?"

"Good, I guess," He frowned, not sure he was really here. "Heard you were getting married."

"Yeah." She didn't know what else to say. The silence between them was deafening.

"So-" they both started talking at once.

"You first," Ianto said, pulling off a glove to have something to worry with.

"I was just going to ask if your Mam was making those wonderful cookies this year." She watched as he twisted the glove in his hand.

"She makes them every year." Ianto was afraid that had come out snarkier than he had meant it.

"Oh." Her eyes went to watch her steps.

"Listen – do you maybe have time for coffee?"

She shook her head slowly. "I don't want to keep you from whatever it is you were doing. It was nice seeing you."

Ianto laughed. "No, no – it's nothing I can't do later."

"Okay then," She nodded with a smile this time, "I guess a cup of coffee sounds good."

They walked toward the small café, chatting.

"How's your family?" Becca asked, looking over to see if Ianto was still playing with the glove he held.

He wasn't. "Mam and Tad are doing good; still the same." He smiled at the consistency.

"And Myfanwy and Gwen? Still spying little tattletales?"

His nose wrinkled, "Oddly enough – yes." Ianto reached out to open the door for Becca.

"And Del?" Her tone changed as she looked up at Ianto.

"Del is...Del. What can I say?" Ianto pulled a chair out for her.

"Thanks," Becca looked like she was holding in a blush.

"No problem. What can I get you?" He took off his coat and put it on the back of the chair.

"Hot chocolate."

"Whipped cream?"

"Extra," she laughed as he smiled back at her.

"Right, be back." He stood in line, thinking. What kind of luck was it that he would run into the one person he had talked about from school. And Becca! She still looked like he remembered. He was holding her hot chocolate, extra whipped cream - chocolate flakes added at the request of Ianto – and his own caramel latte when he made his way back to the table. "So, I hear you're getting married..."

She took the offered drink and grinned. "Yeah, he's a good guy." The whipped cream dotted her nose as she drank. Becca quickly wiped it away. "Kyle is, that is. Kyle is a good guy." She explained herself a bit much and started to laugh.

"He has to be." Ianto said a bit too quickly.

"Do you have anyone special?" She took another sip.

Ianto thought about his words before he spoke. "There's...someone. But I don't want to jinx it by talking about it. You know how that is."

"Yeah," she laughed, throwing her head back a bit. "That first week after Kyle and I went out..."

"What the _hell_ is going on here?!?" Del's voice echoed in the small room. "You planned this, didn't you?"

Ianto's face changed to a slightly green hue. He cursed under his breath before turning. "Shit, it's Del..."

Becca turned to see the man stalking toward them.

"How could you?" Del was at the table, yelling down at his brother. "I told you!"

"Del, it's okay – we ran into each other..." Ianto tried to quiet him. "In fact why don't you sit and have a coffee with us..."

"Shut up, Ianto." Del said, staring him in the eye.

"Del, calm down." Becca reached to touch his arm, but he shrugged her off.

"Butt out, _Becca._" But his eyes never moved from Ianto. "This isn't any business of yours."

"Excuse me?" She brushed her hair back and stood to face him, poking her finger at him. "The fact you're fighting about me makes it my business!"

His face turned hard. "Not everything is about _you_."

"What that is supposed to mean?" Ianto frowned up at Del.

His eyes grew to slits and he ripped the watch from his wrist to fling it at Ianto. "You know what? Forget this! I'll get a cab. See ya!" Ianto bent to pick up the watch from where it lay and Del stomped off, shouting as he went. "I wonder: does the Captain know about you lingering flame for lil Miss Dunham; or should I say _future_ Mrs-whatever-_his_-name-is?"

Becca's eyes were as wide as saucers when she turned back to Ianto. "Lingering flame?"

Before Ianto had a chance to answer, he felt an arm on his shoulder. "What's Del's big damn problem?" He noticed the woman sitting across from Ianto. "Hey there." He extended his hand to Becca. "Jack Harkness. And you are..."

"Becca Dunham, Jack." Ianto answered with a sigh, trying not to look at the man that was all but sitting in his lap.

"Ahhh, the _beautiful_ Becca Dunham." He smiled his mega-watt smile. "The one who is getting married?"

"I see the news travels fast," she laughed again, offering him her hand.

"Lucky man." Jack lightly kissed the hand she had giving him. Becca visibly blushed. "Yan, how about a coffee?" Jack pulled a chair around and sat himself down.

"Sure, Jack. I'd love one." Ianto deadpanned, standing. "Guess you want your usual then?"

"Thanks, Ianto, you're a gem."

"That's what you keep telling me..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Title**: Last Minute Christmas Shopping

**Pairing**: Jack/Ianto

**Genre**: pure fun

**Summary**: Del's tantrum can't stop Ianto from having a good time shopping for presents.

**Disclaimer**: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

**Author's Notes**: Patelyne Trillian Alemp. Thank her for all the parts you like. I swear, it pours out when we talk. One word can be a whole scene.

**-**

Ianto came back to the table to find Jack and Becca chatting like old friends. He set Jack's usual coffee order in front of him, a thin, strained smile on his face. It was somewhat scary to see your first girlfriend laughing with your current boyfriend.

"He was caught nicking clothes from Top Man when he was 15!" Becca giggled to Jack.

"Ianto!" Jack looked over at the man, who just shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, I got four weeks. But not for the crime itself." He took a sip from his own drink, which was now on it's way from tepid to cold.

"Then _what_?" Jack propped his head on his hand, focused fully on Ianto.

The Welshman set the cup he was drinking out of down a little bit too hard. "It was for 'being lippy to the judge'..."

"You were..." Jack turned to look at Becca, "Ianto? Ianto Jones? This," he put his hand on the man's shoulder and shook him a little, "Ianto Jones? Lippy? Really?"

Becca nodded, her eyes serious. "He used to be different. Dangerous." She got a faraway look in her eyes. "Nothing like the dependable man he turned into."

Jack looked back at Ianto, suitably impressed. "Wow. I need to hear more about _that_ Ianto."

"I really need to pick up gifts, Jack." Ianto tried to change the subject as he downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp and made a face. He hated cold coffee.

Jack picked his own up and stood, sliding the chair in. "Hey, Becca – you could come with us." He looked over at Ianto to confirm.

"I don't want to be in the way," Becca tried to say, but was cut off by Jack.

"You wouldn't be – right, Yan?" Jack's smile filled his face.

How could he say no to the smile Jack was giving him now? Cursing inwardly, he bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. "Sure – come on, Becca – the more the merrier."

"Thanks, guys!" She stood and got her coat. "Maybe you can help me pick out a gift for Kyle. He already has everything he wants – I need to find something he doesn't know he wants."

"Jack's good at that," Ianto laughed to himself. "First place I want to go is the watch shop." He shook the timepiece he was holding. "Mine seems to have stopped."

"But you have a watch on, Ianto." Becca pointed out.

"It's his backup," Jack answered quickly. "You know good old reliable Ianto..."

Ianto was going to punch Jack the first chance he got. "So, Becca, what does Kyle like?"

"Well, that's hard." She answered, walking between Jack and Ianto. "I mean, I know what he likes, but he has everything he wants..."

"Then you have to get creative." Jack stated, "Think outside the box."

"You're right!" Her face lit up. "I think I know exactly what to get him now."

"Uh, Jack, I'll just be a minute," Ianto pushed on the door to the watch shop, knowing Jack was otherwise occupied. He was immediately met by a salesman.

"Can I help you sir?" An older man stepped behind the counter from the back room. His clothing looked a bit out of date, and Ianto couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen him somewhere before.

"Yeah, uh, I have a watch that...stopped..." Ianto frowned at the man. "What?"

The old man's eyes bored into his. Ianto felt slightly hypnotized, only enhanced when the man spoke to him. "I have a watch here, and I think it needs to be looked at. Do you think you could help me?" Ianto looked at him again, not sure why the familiarity was right near the surface.

"Let's see it." He took the offered watch and looked it over. "Looks like something got shaken loose. If you want to look around for a moment, I'll see if I can fix it."

"Thank you." Ianto shook the feeling from his brain and walked around, marveling at the things that were up for sale. He was sure to find something for Del here. Even after he had acted like the Del that he had come to know so well, Ianto still wanted to get him a nice watch for Christmas. In fact, it made him want to get him a nicer one that he had originally intended in the hopes of making him feel sorry for what he had done. That's the dance Ianto was used to with his brother - the one where they fought and made up and fought and made up. He wouldn't know any other way.

Ianto was about to give up on his search when he saw it. It was simple, yet perfectly Del. The silver band was attached to a face that had both regular hands and a digital readout as well as the day counter on it. That was it - the timepiece that he would be getting Del. He waited for the old man to come back out with his own watch, and when he did, Ianto asked about Del's potential gift.

"That?" The old man pointed to the item in the case, straightening his cravat a bit as he talked.

"Yes," Ianto nodded, satisfaction in his voice. "That one right there."

"You're lucky - it's the last one like it - I just got it in last week." He smiled a painful, forced smile.

Ianto just kept from flinching. "Great. Do you have a nice box for it?"

"Of course, sir. How will you be paying today?" The man made his way around the counter again to the register.

"Credit - you take credit right?" Ianto was struck by the thought that he might not - the shop looked a bit behind the times - a little like the owner, Ianto supposed.

"Oh, of course sir, and here is the one you brought in. Just as I said - something had shaken loose in it. All fixed now."

Ianto accepted the watch and looked at it. Where there had once been condensation trapped in it from the one time - well, maybe twice - that he had forgotten and worn it in the shower, it was now clear. "What do I owe you?"

"30 pounds for the watch."

"And for fixing mine?" Ianto looked down at it before placing it in his pocket. He wasn't ready to take off the weight of Jack's right yet.

"Nothing. Consider it a gift." He placed the watch for Del into a shiny blue box and took Ianto's card from him. Nothing more was said until Ianto was leaving the shop. "Do call again," the owner said, sending chills up Ianto's spine.

Jack was leaning against the wall, casually talking to Becca when Ianto pushed the door to. "Something wrong, Yan?" Jack asked, moving his gaze.

Ianto frowned. "Can't put my finger on it." He flashed a smile at the pair. "Nevermind, not important. Where to next?"

"Well, Jack helped me decide that Kyle would like a Movie Night in. I'm going to head over to the video store and pick up a movie Jack told me about. Sounds...interesting. Shark Attack Three – heard of it?" Her cell went off, and she rummaged in her pocket for it, not finding it before it stopped ringing.

"Yes. Jack likes those kind of movies. Not sure why." Ianto smiled at the man who now wore a pronounced fake pout.

"Great! It was nice seeing you again, Ianto. And nice to meet you, Jack," she was blushing – Ianto wondered exactly what they had talked about while he was in there.

Jack gave her a warm hug and took her phone from her. "Here's our number. Call anytime."

"Careful, I might." She winked at him. Ianto was confused.

Jack grinned back. "You better. Now get going."

They watched as she walked away, Ianto noting that she was all but bouncing away. "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing; nothing at all." Jack put his arm around Ianto again. "Where are we going, Top Man?"

"I swear, Decaf is in your future..." Ianto mumbled. "Decaf for a year..." Jack put on his biggest grin, making Ianto smile. "Okay, you're forgiven, just don't bring it up around Mam and Tad."

"Fine." Jack agreed. "You get your watch fixed?" He noticed that Ianto was still wearing his.

"Nope, it was a lost cause." Ianto started walking toward a kitchen store to pick out his mother's gift, avoiding looking into Jack's eyes at all costs. Jack always could tell when he wasn't telling the truth.

"Sorry about that, Yan. I know you liked that watch." Jack's arm never left Ianto's shoulders.

"No big deal. Did you get all your shopping done?" Ianto noticed a lack of bags for the first time.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "One of the things was to big to carry around so they're holding it all until we can pick it up."

"What is it?" Ianto half-hoped it was his gift.

"You'll see." He held up Ianto's wrist to look at the watch there. Jack's watch. "It's coming up on three. We need to shake a leg."

"Agreed. Just two stops and I'm done." Ianto yanked his arm back. "Then we can go get your stuff and meet the others."

"Good, I'm starving."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "You are _such_ a child."


	8. Chapter 8

Summary: Time for the traditional decorating of the tree...

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: One part of this is for Helen Pattskyn. She know what one. Heh.

**-**

With dinner over, Mrs. Jones got the girls to help her clear the table so that the family could begin the tradition of decorating the tree. It was always on the 23rd that they hauled out the fake white pine that they used year after year. It was the boy's job to put it together - had been since they were old enough to figure it out - then Glenda and Ifan would string lights around it as they danced to their traditional Christmas record. This was followed by the girls hanging all the ornaments. Once that was all done, the family would set about decorating the rest of the living room with tinsel and making the cranberry and popcorn strings that they would hang outside for their avian friends.

It took the girls no time to clean, and by the time they had finished, the boys had returned from a trip up to the attic to get the tree and all the decorations. Mrs. Jones had made hot chocolate and was bringing it in as Jack was erupting in a sneezing fit.

"Ifan! You were supposed to get those down _before_ the boys showed up!" Glenda scolded, dusting the tops of the boxes.

"Relax, it's good for the lungs," Ifan said, settling into his usual chair to survey the scene.

"I'm fine," Jack promised, rubbing his hands over his face briskly. "What do we do first?"

Ianto opened the large, battered cardboard box. The tape was old, so it came away in a crumble. "We put this together."

"Wow." Jack was in awe. He had seen Christmas trees before, sure, but he knew he was looking at a piece of history for the Jones family. He wondered to himself how many stories this very tree would tell if only it could talk. "This is beautiful."

"Jeez, Jack, you would think that you'd never seen a tree before," Del snarked, only to be pinched under the arm by Glenda. "Ow, Mam..." He went to sulk on the couch as Ianto and Jack set to work. "What am I supposed to do, then?" He crossed his arms on his chest and poked out his bottom lip.

"Here, Delwyn, you can start stringing the popcorn with the girls." She pushed the bowl closer to him and handed him a length of string. "Keep yourself busy."

Del made a face. "That's a kid's job, Mam."

"But, seeing as none of my children have seen fit to give me any grandchildren, yet _again_ my children will be the only ones doing it." She smiled sweetly at them before turning to her husband. "Ifan, love, don't you think that sounds fair?"

Ifan grunted from behind the paper he was reading. "Yeah. You lot need to have this woman some kind of Grandkids so she'll get off your backs...and mine!"

There was a collective eye roll amongst the siblings. It was Myfanwy who spoke for the group. "Mam. We have all talked about this and decided that until we find someone worthy of bringing into the Jones line that we would never do anything so petty as pollute our perfect genetic material..."

"Ifan, talk some sense into your children." She popped a cranberry she should have been placing on the string in her mouth.

Still behind the paper, "Kids, do as your mother says. _Please_ have children."

"What, right now?" Gwen asked smartly, winking at Jack before blowing him a kiss, which he mimed catching.

"Gwenda." Mrs. Jones addressed the oldest twin. "Don't be silly. But can we _maybe_ make it a goal next year to be closer to that?"

Gwen sighed. "Fine. I'll arrange a marriage if it will get you off my back. _Man_."

Jack started to laugh as 'Santa Baby' came from the speakers. "I _love_ this song!" He danced around as he helped Ianto put the tree together, sometimes holding them just out of Ianto's reach.

Del had given in and joined his Mam and sisters in the stringing, trying to avoid having to put the lights on when the time came to do so, seeing as it looked as though Ifan were falling asleep in the chair and the task would fall to him.

"Think of all the fun I've missed; think of all the fellows that I haven't kissed...Next year I could be just as good if you check off my Christmas list..." Jack sang aloud, making Ianto cringe.

"Maybe you could *not* do that?" Ianto suggested.

"All goes back to the grandchildren," Glenda remarked. "If I had some of them, they would be the ones dancing around and singing and it wouldn't fall to Jack to entertain us. Don't listen to Ianto, Jack, you dance your heart out..."

Jack smiled at her as the song changed. "You want us to do the lights, Tad?" He asked the man who was starting to get up.

"Go ahead," Ifan said, settling back down. "Saves me having to get up."

"Ianto! Lights!" Jack barked, making Ianto sigh. "Let's do this."

"If you're going to do it right, let me go get the candy canes that go on it." Mrs Jones stood and went to the kitchen.

Ianto knew that Jack never did anything half way and now, his family was about to learn a very important lesson about letting Jack do things - that they should avoid it at all costs.

"Seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying - FIVE GOLD-EN RINGS!" Jack belted out as he passed the lights to Ianto, who rolled his eyes. "Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtledoves, and...what, Yan?"

The reply was flat. "An idiot decorating a tree?"

Jack's face fell, his shoulders followed. "Come on, have fun - 'tis the season and all that..."

The older man tried to pull him into a dance. "Loosen up." Ianto backed away from Jack as he tried to loop tinsel around his neck. "This would look so nice..."

"Don't, Jack," he warned, turning to run, but getting trapped by a wall.

"Red really is your color though." Jack laughed, draping the decorations on him. Ianto forgot where he was and arched an eyebrow playfully. That was all the invitation that Jack needed, and, before Ianto could react, he was being throughly and soundly kissed by an ex-Time Agent.

"You know who would love to have candy canes off the tree? Grandkids. Remind me why I don't have those again..." She was babbling as she came in the room.

Del cleared his throat and touched his mother's arm to quiet her before he spoke. "That would be why."

It was as if the world did not exist to the men who were at the far side of the room. Only Ifan behind his paper was not watching the show going on. The twins were looking from Ianto and Jack, to one another, and back again, their expressions a cross between shock and understanding. It was Mrs. Jones that broke the silence.

"Then what's _your_ excuse, Delwyn Robert?"

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a while before being able to answer. "Well, it's because _you're_ so beautiful and no one compares to you. All women in my life have been let-downs."

Jack heard Del's voice and it brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw everyone was watching the show he and Ianto had put on. Smiling, he walked over to Del and placed his hands on either side of Ianto's brother's face. "Liar." Jack drew him close and kissed him as well.

Del was left blinking.

"What?" Jack asked the room. "Had to. Mistletoe." He pointed to the plant hanging above them. "It's the law. True fact." Then the smile.

Ianto was about to say something when his cell rang. "Ianto Jones, pissed off Welshman, how can I help you?"

"Ianto? It's Gwen..."

"How's it going?" Ianto put on his fake enthusiasm for the room's benefit.

"Not great. Janet got out and at the ornaments off the tree."

"Oh, wonderful! Glad to hear you and Rhys' mam decided to put your differences aside for the holiday. Have you heard from Owen or Tosh?"

"Ianto! Did you not hear me?!? Janet is loose! Owen has her cornered, but I need to know where you keep the Weevil spray. We're out in the kit up here."

"Well, Gwen, I would have expected you to buy extra presents," He held his hand over the mouthpiece and spoke to the people watching him. "It's Gwen, just a little problem with gift shortage. I don't know why she called me."

"Ianto Jones! What the hell are you talking about?!? She's stuck in Jack's office! We're in real trouble here..."

"Okay, Gwen, you have a nice holiday too. Give my regards to the Williams family." Ianto shut the phone on a screeching Gwen.

"Ianto?" Jack looked at him, hands on his hips. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing. And now, I'm very tired. Goodnight, all." A torn up office would teach Jack.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: What if?  
Pairing: Jack/Ianto  
Genre: pure fun  
Summary: Be careful what you wish for…

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...  
Author's Notes: So, yeah, hope this isn't too confusing.

**-**

Ianto straightened his tie and walked out of the tiny kitchenette with the tray of steaming mugs. It was the same thing every day – coffee and filing; filing and coffee. Never a break for the dedicated general support officer of Torchwood Three.

First, it was to Tosh's desk. Her favorite celery-hued mug contained the steaming liquid she preferred to start her day with - the very same mug that had the delicate flowers creeping up the side. Ianto thought that maybe she had gotten it as a gift, but maybe not. Next was Owen, down in the med bay, and on to Jack, who gave him a kiss as he took his coffee from the tray.

Ianto looked curiously at the mug Jack had taken. It was a plain ceramic mug except for the "#1 Mom" written on it. That and the broken handle. He briefly wondered why the mug would even be in the Hub, let alone why Jack would use it. He was still thinking about it when he got to Gwen's desk.

"Thank goodness you're here, Ianto!" Gwen squealed theatrically. "There is a dino under my desk that I need you to get out!"

Ianto felt himself go pale. How had Myfanwy gotten herself under Gwen's desk without anyone noticing? He placed the tray on the desktop as quickly as possible and called up to Jack, "Jack! Don't know how, but it seems we have an emergency down here!"

Jack poked his head out the door in what was record speed for the captain. "What is it?"

"Gwen says there is a dino under her desk," Ianto answered back, noticing that the concern that had painted Jack's face disappeared.

"Is that so?" He sauntered down the steps. "Do you need my help?"

Ianto was shocked. "Of course, how else will I get it?"

Jack leaned to look under the desk, but brushed by Ianto's ear as he did to whisper. "You're good..." Ianto frowned at him. What was he saying? "Dinosaur! You come out now!" Jack called, winking at Ianto.

"Sir," Ianto frowned, "I don't think that will work."

His words were slow, as if he talking to a small child. Jack's head snapped back to Ianto. "Sir?" He raised an eyebrow and stood upright. "When did you start with that again?" "The dino?" Gwen reminded the pair. "It's still there."

Jack looked at her before shaking his head at Ianto. "Come on out now. Game's over," The man in suspenders called under the desk.

Ianto wasn't sure how this was supposed to get a giant pterodactyl out from under a desk that was clearly not big enough for it to even get under in the first place, but curiosity got the better of him and he figured he would wait it out to see.

The offending dino came out when called, and the shock that was on Ianto's face was genuine. "What is going on?" Jack put his hand on Ianto's forehead. "Are you okay, Yan? You look confused. Should I get Owen up here?"

Ianto's eyes grew wide. "That's a..." Ianto pointed down to the "dino", "...kid."

Jack grew concerned. "Ianto, sweetheart, that's _your_ kid."

"Not a kid! Dino!" The small boy launched himself at Ianto's knee and bit. Hard.

"Son-of-a-," Ianto grabbed his knee cap and tried to chase the small boy in overalls as he ran toward Tosh's desk. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I see." Jack laughed. "He bites you and he's my son?" He walked to where Ianto stood and took his hand. "It doesn't work that way, love." He looked over to the boy. "John Aeron, he didn't mean it. You're just a bit much for him right now."

"Come on now, sweetie," Ianto coaxed, tugging on the boy's hand. "I didn't mean to yell."

Big blue eyes met his and he felt his insides seize. They were too familiar.

"How about we get your trains out?" Jack suggested to the boy, ruffling his hair.

"Trains?" his eyes lit up.

"Yes, Thomas and Bill and James." He was sharing John's enthusiasm.

"And James?" Came the echo with a clap of small hands.

"And Toby," Jack nodded, remembering that he had gotten a new one recently.

"Yay! Toe-bee!" He bounced between the men holding hi hands.

Ianto looked over at Jack to find him looking back. A smile that seemed to ask a question was on his lips. Ianto answered back with his own smile.

"And then, maybe me you and Tad can go get lunch," Jack promised, handing the boy the promised toys as he sat him on the couch.

"Lunch," came the echo. "Toe-bee. Lunch."

Ianto laughed. "Yes, lunch. Jack. Ianto. John. Lunch." He frowned, realizing he had picked up the staccato way the boy spoke, as if he were used to hearing it. "So, you stay here and be a good boy, okay?"

The dark blonde head bobbed in agreement. "'K, Tad."

It was then that Ianto felt his heart melt. It was Christmas and Birthdays and the first time he kissed Jack all rolled into one. It was the universe beginning and ending. It was facing down Lisa and cannibals and the judge when he was 15. And it was all because of Jack.

"You all right?" Gwen was there suddenly, in the place it seemed Jack had just been standing. Ianto nodded, fearing any attempted words would bring tears with them. She rubbed his back. "Seems like he's growing too fast, doesn't it?"

Ianto nodded, watching as John picked up the battered red train and made spaceship noises.

"So, do you have his birthday all planned?" Gwen turned his attention away.

"Birthday?" Ianto wished he knew what she was talking about. He wished for his date book, patting his pockets as if it were small enough to be there, even though he knew it wasn't.

"Looking for this?" Toshiko was at his other side, holding a book Ianto didn't recognize, but knew was exactly the right one.

"Thank you, Tosh," Ianto went to say, but she wasn't there anymore. He shrugged and opened the book to a marked page. There, in familiar handwriting, were notes on a third birthday party. Words like 'balloon' and 'candles' and 'streamers' and 'cake – white NOT chocolate' swam before his eyes along with a simple one-word question – 'Titan?'

Owen, who was there now instead of Gwen, tapped the page. "Titan? You're getting a giant robot for John's party? You two aren't sparing any expense, are you? I wonder, is this on the company dollar?"

"I…look, Owen, this must be Jack's idea – but why am I answering to you when…" The Welshman looked around, but Owen had wandered off. Ianto sighed, noticing John was no longer on the couch where he had last seen him. He looked over to Gwen's desk as habit and saw him there, talking and laughing with her – looking more than a little bit like Jack when he was in full flirt mode.

A noise and loud curse from Owen brought Ianto's eyes away and into the autopsy room, where John was busily spinning around in the office chair at Owen's computer as Owen dissected a large creature that, to Ianto, resembled the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Ianto shook the image from his head and walked towards Tosh to find John had beaten him there. The Japanese woman, who was usually so patient with everyone, was all but pleading with the small child who was happily punching buttons and making what could only be described as laser-gun noises.

"Oh, look, there's Tad!" She sighed in relief as she removed his over-all clad body from her work area. "Perhaps he and Dad are ready for lunch now?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Jack's voice was in his ear. Ianto jumped and found that he was holding Jack's greatcoat.

"Then, lunch it is." Ianto spoke as he helped Jack put on his coat like always, paying special attention to the collar before shrugging on his own jacket.

There was the small sound of someone shorter than him clearing their throat, and Ianto looked down to see John holding out his own coat – a smaller version of Jack's own. "Help?"

Figuring he was probably the cause of this, Ianto took the small woolen coat as the child slid into it, mimicking Jack's familiar motions. With a resigned sigh, Ianto picked up the boy, who immediately reached for Jack. He was passed over without and word and the two of them ran ahead to the lift, not waiting for Ianto. Once outside in the Plass, Jack put John down. But before anyone could take his hand, he was off running as fast as his toddler legs could carry him, eventually climbing on benches that were outside of the Millennium Center.

"John Aeron! You come down here right now!" Ianto yelled, even as he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"Ianto," Jack's voice called. "Ianto, it's okay."

"But it's not," Ianto insisted in a haze. "He's going to get hurt, Jack."

"Who is?" Jack's eyes were sympathetic.

"John Aeron," Ianto frowned, looking around. "Who doesn't seem to exist…" He ran his hand through his hair.

"Were you dreaming?" Jack's voice was morning-deep.

"Must have been," he sat upright, scooting so that Jack could join him. "But it felt so…real."

Jack put an arm around him to draw him close. Ianto let his head fall to Jack's chest. He reached an arm up to snake around Jack's neck when Jack caught his wrist. "Ianto, I thought this was broken."

Ianto looked at his watch. "Uh…it…I don't remember putting that on." He watched, fascinated, as Jack removed it for closer inspection. "I still had yours on when I went to sleep."


	10. Chapter 10

**Title**: Christmas Eve – Part One

**Pairing**: Jack/Ianto  
**Genre**: pure fun  
**Summary**: There are two parts of this – I hope to get both put up tonight so that I can post.

**Disclaimer**: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...  
**Author's Notes**: Sorry about that last chapter if it confused – it will come into play later.

**-**

"Ifan – where are all the stockings? We can't hang them by the chimney with care if we don't have them…" Ianto and Jack came into the kitchen just as Glenda was clearing the breakfast dished. "Oh, hi boys – sleep well?"

Ianto frowned at Jack, stopping him from speaking. "Just fine," he assured her.

"Good, good." She looked over to Jack, who was frowning. "Do you think you boys could go up to the attic to get the stockings? Ifan didn't get that box when he got the others." She looked from one man to the other. "There's pancakes in it for you…"

"Ianto, pancakes," Jack's eyes lit up. Mrs. Jones was quickly learning the way to Jack's heart.

"Yes, Mam, we'll go get them. I'll never hear the end of it if we don't," he turned to his father, who looked over the top of the morning paper. "Any clue as to where that box might be?"

"I suppose it's with the others." Mr. Jones answered. "Though I thought I brought all of those down."

"Well, you clearly didn't." Glenda said, filling the sink with water.

"We're going now, Mam," Ianto yanked on Jack's sleeve. "Go ahead and start making the pancakes."

When they were in the attic, Jack turned to Ianto. "What was that about in the kitchen?"

"I don't know what you mean." Ianto stared at him blankly.

"Nevermind," Jack huffed, looking around the small room with his hands on his hips. "Where would that box be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Ianto shrugged, glad to have that conversation behind them, but knowing that Jack would more than likely bring it up later. "I think we should start at the corner and work our way around."

"Is that how you do it in the archives?" Jack asked, starting for a stack of boxes that said 'XMAS' on them. "These look promising."

"What would I do without you?" Ianto laughed, following him.

"Die of boredom and sexual frustration," Jack said simply, opening the first box on the stack.

"BINGO!" Ianto called from the box he was looking in, "They're right here."

"That was easy." Jack went to close the box, but something red caught his eye. Ianto's back was turned, so Jack opened the box back up to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. They weren't.

"Oh! Look at this," Ianto went for another box. "This has some of my stuff that was in my room growing up. You wanna see?"

Jack smiled back at him, "That would be wonderful, Yan." He closed the box and went to join him on the trip down memory lane.

"You have to promise not to laugh." Ianto said, his mouth slightly smiling.

"I promise. Why would I laugh?" Jack sat in a dusty chair that was covered with a sheet.

"Because you might," Ianto stood over him, holding the box.

Jack pulled Ianto into his lap. "But I wouldn't – not at you." He put his arms around Ianto's waist.

"You say that now." Ianto ran his hand along Jack's cheek. "But you don't know what's in that box."

"Yan, it doesn't matter what's in that box. Only that you wanted to share it with me in the first place." Jack locked eyes with him. "I only wish that I had something of my childhood to share with you."

"Don't worry about that," Ianto leaned to kiss him. "You're here. How you got here isn't important."

"So, I'm forgiven for that 'thing' last night?" Jack smiled against him.

"Well, it wasn't the way I wanted them to find out about us, but, given it was you and I, how else could it have been?" Ianto kissed him again.

"True," Jack sank back in the chair. "Do you think Del's mad at me?"

"No," another voice answered. Ianto jumped, Jack's arms going tighter around him. "He's not mad. Confused, maybe…Mam wanted me to come and help you. But I don't think she knew what you were up to."

"Can it, Del. The box she wants is right over there. You can take it down if you want." Ianto wasn't in the mood for him today. "I found a box of stuff from my bedroom that I wanted to look through."

"Yeah, I'll go so you and your boyfriend can have some time alone," Del snorted. "I'm sure Mam will be okay with that."

"Ass," Ianto stood and pulled Jack to his feet.

Del picked up the box with the stockings and led the way out of the attic. Ianto carried with him the box of memories and Jack was the last out, looking back at the box he had opened.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked, turning back to him.

"Nothing," Jack answered. "Just hungry."

"Oh, that's right, you haven't had your usual coffee and pastry yet, have you?" He patted the captain's stomach. "Mam's making breakfast, don't worry. I'll make you some coffee."

"You are too good to me."

"You might be right. But it's who I am. You can thank Mam and Tad for that."

"That sounds like a good idea." Jack grinned. "I think I _do_ need to talk to them."

"No, Jack, that was a joke." But it was too late, Jack was already down the stairs for the basement.

"Mr. Jones…Ifan…Tad?" Jack called as he walked down the stairs.

"Down here, Jack." The answer came echoing up the stairs to meet him. "Don't mind the mess."

He looked around the corner to see Ifan Jones at his sewing machine, just finishing something that he was packing into a box. "Pajamas, though I suppose I shouldn't be telling you."

Jack inclined his head, "Why not?"

"They're for you. All the kids get new pajamas on Christmas Eve. That way, the pictures we take in the morning look good." He shut the lid on the box.

"What about the 'bedhead'?" Jack asked, a smile on his face.

"We ignore it." Ifan laughed. "But that isn't what you came down here for, is it, Captain?"

Jack's face fell for a moment. "Captain?"

"Don't play innocent. I know who you are. And I still let you in my house."

"But – how?" Jack crossed his arms on his chest.

"I've been around, Jack. And to be honest, if someone had told me twenty years ago that I would be in my basement having _this_ talk with Jack Harkness, I would have told them that they were crazy. How about you sit?" Ifan kicked a chair towards the standing man.

Jack did as he was told, wondering where this talk was going to go.

"Jack, I know who you are. In fact, I knew who you were before the child of mine that you have taken to was born." Ifan turned his chair to face Jack. "And, as much as I know about you, I am thrilled that my son has found someone that makes him happy."

"Well, sir, he makes me happy as well…" The smile started.

"Don't interrupt me, Harkness." There was a new edge to Mr. Jones' voice, one that Jack hadn't heard from a father in a good, long time. "As much as I like you, I want you to know that if you harm one hair on his head – break his heart in the least little bit – I will hunt you down and make you wish that you _could_ die. Do we have an understanding?"

Jack nodded slowly.

"Good. Welcome to the family." Ifan turned back to the sewing machine and picked up a piece of cut material that was sitting near it. He examined it for a moment before putting it under the foot and making adjustments to the stitch. "Something you need?"

"No sir." Jack stood and went back to the stairs, taking them two at a time to get back to Ianto.

Ianto was waiting for him in the living room, the box sitting on his lap. "Mam wants us to go and get the albums now. Let me put this somewhere Del won't bother it and we can go and get them."

"Where are they?" Jack asked.

"The attic. Tad took them up there, thinking he was helping clear up some of the mess down her about a month ago. Mam is none too happy about it." Jack watched as Ianto walked down the hall.

"You know," Glenda put her arm around Jack's waist as she approached, "I think you're smitten, my boy."

Jack looked down at her. "What do you mean?"

"Like I didn't see that little show you put on. And don't look so shocked." She batted at him. "I can see it in your eyes. Both of you."

"You ready to go back up there?" Ianto dusted his hands off theatrically, and looked at the way Jack and his mother were standing. "What's going on here? Jack – I told you _not_ to hit on my mam…"

"But, honey, she reminds me so much of you…" Jack gave her a quick kiss on the head and went to stand by Ianto. "I'm ready."

Ianto rolled his eyes and took the hand that Jack offered, watching as Glenda smiled at the both of them.

"Ianto, son, just bring all the albums down. Jack hasn't seen any of them," she called after them.

"And he won't if I have anything to say about it…" Ianto called back with a chuckle.

"Spoil-sport," Jack grumbled as they climbed the stairs to the attic for the third time in two days.

"Listen, there is some embarrassing stuff in those pictures. Besides, Mam only wants to be able to put the new pictures of us on Christmas Eve and Christmas in them. She'll only need the Christmas one." Ianto started to root through the box that Jack had opened earlier, and abruptly stopped. "Jack. Come here."

Jack turned from the box he was looking in. "Did you find a spider?" When he saw what Ianto was holding up, he got serious. "What's that?"

"As if you don't know." Ianto was suddenly sick and mad. "Jack, do you know what this means?"

Putting his hands in his pockets, Jack arched an eyebrow, "That I can finally see my sexy man in a UNIT cap?"

Ianto threw the cap at him. "Not the time or place."

"What do you want me to say, Yan? That I planted this? Because I didn't." He twirled the cap on the end of his finger. "Maybe you should ask your father."

"This isn't something that Tad would keep from us – he's…there's no way he could have been in UNIT…"

"Look, let's just get those albums." Jack tried to calm him down.

A light went on behind Ianto's eyes. "Yeah, that's it! Jack, we need to find all the photo albums."

"I thought you said you didn't want me seeing them…"

"My parents _love_ pictures. There has to be at least one of my tad in uniform…" Ianto began to tear thorough boxes until he found a stack of photo albums. Once they had looked through all of them without finding on picture of The Jones when they were younger, Ianto ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I can't even find the one that has their wedding pictures in it, Jack, this is weird."

"Did you try that trunk over there?" He was pointing at a simple wooden trunk that was buried under a few more boxes.

"That's just Mam's Hope Chest." Ianto heard what he was saying and all but ran to it. "Jack, you're a genius! Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not today." Jack laughed, helping him remove the boxes to open the chest.

They dug together through the tablecloths and linen napkins. There was Glenda's wedding dress and hand-knit baby clothes that were labeled for each of the Jones children. Jack took a moment to unfold the one marked 'Ianto', marveling at the small size. Ianto watched him out of the corner of his eye as he dug further and further, finally wrapping his hand around a bound volume.

"I found it!" Ianto held the book up triumphantly.

"Bring it over here." Jack was sitting in the same chair as before. "We can look at it together."

"Good idea." Ianto took his place on Jack's lap again, flipping the book open. There were a few of his parents when they first met – Ianto had heard the story many times and knew it well. It was on the bus. Tad had given Mam his seat. And it was love at first sight, to hear them tell it. The pictures backed up that story well. None of them showed the both of them looking forward, one was always sneaking a peek at the other.

"Look at them, Yan." Jack pointed out. "I saw Tad looking at her like that yesterday at dinner."

Ianto smiled. "So did I. Even after all these years…" He shook his head. "I could only be so lucky."

"Hey, now," Jack used his mock-hurt voice. "That stings, Ianto Jones."

Ianto's mouth crooked up on one side as he flipped to the next page. Here were the pictures he was most familiar with – the ones of them at their wedding ceremony – Mam in her beautiful cream dress and Tad in his tastefully tailored tuxedo that still hung in their closet. These were followed by the ones of them kissing for the first time as a married couple and the ones of them cutting the cake. Ianto was about to give up when he noticed that two of the pages near the end were stuck together.

Frowning at Jack, he ran a finger between the aged pages. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the picture in front of him. The picture of Ifan Jones all decked out in a crisp UNIT uniform, his cap tipped _just so_. He heard Jack's breath suck in as well.

"Jesus, Yan, you look like your tad! Now I _know_ we have to get you one of those caps…I wonder if we could just have the one we found…" Ianto smacked him on the arm.

"This isn't funny, Jack! My Tad has been keeping this from us. He _has_ to know what Torchwood is then…that explains how he knew who you were…" His hands were running through his hair again. "And who is this man he's standing with? That's an absurdly long scarf…"

"You really need to talk to your tad," Jack said. "I'm sure he'd tell you the truth. Maybe he doesn't want the others to know. Do you think your mam knows?"

"I don't know, Jack. All I know is that I need a drink. A very big drink…"


	11. Chapter 10b

Title: Christmas Eve – part b

Pairing: Jack/Ianto  
Genre: pure fun  
Summary: …later that night

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...  
Author's Notes: Presenting the second part of Christmas Eve. Christmas will either be later tonight or tomorrow.

**-**

"And this was the year Ianto gave Delwyn a black eye…" Glenda pointed to a picture in the album she held in her lap. "Do you remember that year, Ifan?"

Mr. Jones grunted as he read the magazine in front of him and sipped the eggnog in his hand. Ianto raised his own mug to his father in agreement.

"And here's the year that Del and Ianto gave _each_ _other_ black eyes…" Gwen, who was perched on the arm of the couch, her arm around Jack, pointed out.

Jack bent to look closer, "Do they always fight?"

"For as long as I can remember – yes," Myfanwy clinked glasses with Ianto.

"I'll drink to that," Ianto agreed.

"You're drinking to everything," Gwen observed. "You might want to slow that down." She frowned.

"Lay off," Del stuck up for his brother, raising his own glass to him.

"Here, here!" Ianto raised his glass, as did his father.

"Jack, do you want some eggnog before this lot drinks it all?" Glenda went to stand, but Jack stopped her. "That's all right."

"Jack doesn't drink, Mam," Ianto waved his glass around, leaning as close to her as he could, which was awfully close. "It makes him lose his inhibitions," he giggled out in a breathy stage whisper.

"Ianto, that may be enough for you," Jack said, leaning across Mrs. Jones.

The man let his head roll back to face Jack, smiling broadly. "Nah," Ianto got to his feet. "I can still sing!"

Jack went to stand, but Gwen pushed him back into the couch. "No, this is going to be good. Ianto rarely sings."

Sitting back down, Jack's mouth was a hard line. He'd seen Ianto a little tipsy before, but this was far past that.

With a flourish, Ianto threw his head back and began to sing tunelessly. "I'm a little teaboy, short and stout – but not really that stout, so please don't pout…" He was miming the words as he went, causing Jack to cover his face in shame for his boyfriend.

Del stood up to join his little brother as Ianto continued to sing, not anything near the real song. No one could keep Jack in his seat this time.

"Look, Yan, maybe it's time to go and lie down for a bit, sleep it off…"

Ianto turned to see Jack in his haze and wrapped his fingers around the captain's suspenders. "And kill the buzz? No way – I would rather just go to bed; no sleep." He bit his lip and pulled Jack closer, but Jack turned his head when Ianto went to kiss him.

"Yan, how many fingers do you see?" Jack held two fingers up.

Ianto grinned impossibly, "Jackie, I see _all_ the fingers I look at," a statement which ended in more giggles.

"That's my baby brother – the lightweight." Del held his glass in a toast, not meaning anything by it.

Ianto suddenly turned, "You wanna go?"

Del held up his hands in surrender. " Yan, it's fine, I didn't mean anything.."

Ianto's eyes flashed dark. "No, Del, let's do this. Let's do it right. That little fight with the mop and broom? That was just the first round!" He was getting closer to Del with every word he spoke.

"Yan, don't." Jack warned, a slight growl in his voice, his muscles tensed to separate them.

"No grab-assing near the tree, boys!" Glenda warned, sternly, her focus mainly on the photo album.

"This isn't grab-assing, Mam," Ianto assured her, pushing the sleeves to his shirt up to his elbows. "We're finishing something we should have years ago." His eyes never moved from Del. "You ready for this?" Ianto made the drunken hand motions for fighting.

"Ianto Andras, Delwyn Robert – you heard your mother," Ifan spoke up, finally putting his magazine aside. "She said to calm it down."

"What she said was 'no grab-assing', Tad," Ianto argued. "This is _not_ 'grab-assing' – this is a beat down – or it will be, once I get my hands on him."

"Ianto." Tad rose from the chair and there was a sudden stillness in the air. Any sane, sober man would have stopped right there. But Ianto was neither at that moment.

"Truce," Del said. "You win. Always. I concede." He backed away as Ianto advanced on him.

A cruel chuckle rose from somewhere in Ianto that made Jack shiver. "Yan, sweetie – come on." Jack tugged on his arm and was shrugged aside. "Ianto!"

He couldn't even hear Jack as he flexed his hands. He was thinking of one thing only. Del. Somehow, right now, to Ianto, Del was everything bad that had happened to him. And Ianto aimed to take care of that once and for all. He drew his fist back and swung.

Del anticipated it and did the same. What they did not anticipate was that Jack was going to try to break up the fight.

Jack was caught in the middle of the two brothers, both of them fighting like it was a life-or-death showdown. Fist after fist crashed down on Jack before anyone realized what was happening. The twins were hiding behind the couch squealing and begging their father to stop the fight. Glenda was hitting at Del and Ianto alternately with a rolled up magazine Ifan handed her.

"IANTO!" Jack managed to grab the collar of the shirt he was wearing and swung him wide, away from the possibility of hurting anyone else.

Ianto blinked, seeing for the first time that Jack was covered in his own blood. He looked to his knuckles to see the same and began to sob.

"THAT'S IT!" Glenda grabbed Del in one fist and Ianto in the other. "CORNERS!!!"

Both boys looked at one another and then her for a moment before running to the corners they had been forced to stand in as children, not daring to move now any more than they had back then.

"YOU!" Glenda was on a roll. "Into the bathroom so I can clean all that up." Jack looked blankly at her as he gingerly touched his face to access the damage. "NOW! HOP TO!"

Jack felt his legs moving before he could say anything to his brain. He found himself, moments later, seated on the edge of the bathtub as Glenda Jones dabbed at his face with a cool cloth. "Thanks, but, you don't have to do that." He knew he couldn't explain why and that she would be a witness to it firsthand in a moment, just as her son had been.

"Shut up." She slapped him on the arm, making him wince. "No more talking from you. _I_ do the talking here." Jack clamped his mouth shut. "Now, I know that you saw something up in the attic that you shouldn't have. I said shut up. Ifan talks to me. It may not seem like we do a lot of that, but I am sure you are aware that we Jones can carry on for days with nothing but looks." She allowed Jack a snorting laugh before continuing, "I know that you saw a UNIT cap, and the two of you more than likely saw the pictures. Don't smile at me like that, Captain Jack Harkness, man of immortality; and don't look so shocked."

"How did you…Ifan told you?" He tried to hold it in, but the words fell out.

"He didn't need to. I had higher clearance than him." She smiled. "You don't remember me, do you?"

For a brief moment, Jack was worried. Was this sweet woman - the mother of the love of his life – a woman he had screwed over in the past? But no, that didn't fit at all. He would have remembered someone as striking as she had been in her youth. Then it hit him. "You – I know who you are."

"Hello, Jackie." She waved playfully at him before snapping back into interrogator mode. "Now, I know you and Ifan had 'the talk', but whatever he said, goes double for me. And if you intend to break that boy's heart like you did so may of my colleagues', you are in for a world of hurt. But you remember that, don't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Jack looked at the tile floor to compose himself before looking up, his trademark smirk on his face. "You were the best strong-arm UNIT had back in the day. No one assumed that someone as delicate-looking and unassuming as you could bite the head off a live bear."

"Thanks for the compliment, Jack, but I meant what I said." She was serious. "Now let's get back out there and see the damage, shall we?"

"Can I just say one more thing?" Jack stood and looked himself in the mirror.

"Go ahead," she allowed.

"If your son is anything like you, perhaps I should better guard myself."

"Sweetheart, you better pray my son is exactly like me. Even with your ability, someone has to save your ass." She smiled as she left him looking in the mirror, shouting down the hallway. "Everyone get to bed! I don't care if you are to blame or not! Father Christmas won't come – hell, he might not anyway!"

Jack watched his face as the bruises went back from where they started. This was supposed to be a simple holiday. But,he reflected, when was anything around him simple?


	12. Chapter 11a

Sorry about the delay. My computer died and I have had to rely on help from my muse – that is why this is late – but more will be on – this ain't over yet. Fueled by Necco Wafers and Torchwood…

**-**

Ianto woke to find Jack sitting by his bed, reading a book that had been on the bookcase in his room. "Jack?" He smiled as he rolled over, tucking his arm under the pillow.

"What is it?" He never raised his eyes from the page.

"I think I had another nightmare," he rubbed his head, wondering why it was tender feeling.

Jack continued reading.

"I dreamt that I was hitting you as hard as I could. And Mam put me in the corner…" Ianto rubbed his eyes. "Isn't that crazy?"

Jack looked up for the first time, not changing the angle of his head.

"Isn't it?" Ianto asked again.

Jack shook his head dismissively before going back to reading.

"Oh, Jesus – I hit you – didn't I?" Ianto slipped out of bed and put his arms around Jack, asking for silent forgiveness. Jack wasn't willing to give in.

"Ianto, how long have you had this problem?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play ignorant. You know what I mean." Jack closed the book pointedly.

"No, I don't." Ianto tried to change the subject. "Merry Christmas Jack." He brushed soft kisses on his neck.

Even though Jack loved the feeling, he moved away from Ianto. "Don't. Not answering my question."

"Jack, it's not a real problem." Ianto sighed, sitting back.

"Getting drunk to the point of attack isn't a problem?"

"It's not always like that. Must have been the liquor," Ianto shrugged.

"How long, Ianto?" Jack tried again.

"Not long," Ianto looked away as he answered.

That earned a glare from Jack. He looked thoughtfully at the cover of the book he was holding. "Not what I read."

Ianto's eyes widened as he realized what it was that Jack was holding. "Where did you get that?" He reached for the book.

"Off your bookcase," Jack pointed behind him. "It's a very interesting read." He raised his eyebrows. "But I wonder why some entries are yours and others seem to be a girl's handwriting."

"Gwen and Myfanwy 'helped' me," Ianto sighed, defeated.

"Hmmmm…interesting," Jack opened the book again. "So one of them must have been the ones to write: 'Ianto went out again tonight. He didn't get back until after midnight – and it was a school night! And then, when he did, he had a split lip and smelled like the man down by the docks when we went on holiday.' Right?"

"Yes," Ianto had the sense to be ashamed. "But that was a long time ago. I'm not like that anymore."

"Was this the same Ianto that stole?" Jack's leer appeared.

"And smoked," Ianto mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Wow - you really have changed."

"You not so much, huh, Jack?"

"Touché." He glared at Ianto for a moment. "We'll talk about this later; right now – presents?"

"Yours is right over here," Ianto got up and stood on tip-toe to reach in his closet.

"When did you sneak that in?" Jack leaned against the bed. "I thought I saw you bring everything in."

"Easy," Ianto smiled. "I had it sent here."

"Sneaky." Jack agreed. "I hope you'll forgive the fact that I didn't have time to wrap it more than putting it in a box."

"If you'll forgive me for the same." He sat, the box in his lap. "How do you want to do this?"

"I dunno, switch?" Jack took a small box from his pocket. "You first." He tossed the box to Ianto, and took the box from his lap.

"No, you." Ianto motioned to the wrapped parcel Jack held. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. As long as it isn't fruitcake. I hate fruitcake. In fact, I still have one left that I got in 1878. Tastes the same as the day I got it, I bet." Jack mused, popping the tape off and starting to lift the lid.

Ianto stopped him. "It's not a fruitcake. And I really do hope you like it. It took quite a while."

Jack put his hand atop Ianto's, no words passing between them. There was a silence as Jack looked down at the box. "I'm sure I will." Ianto watched as Jack lifted the lid, his eyes growing wide. "Where did you get this?"

"Tosh helped me – do you like it?" Ianto bit his lip in uncertainty.

Jack peered into the box at the picture looking up at him. It was one of him and Ianto, sitting beside one another at the conference table. Ianto had his ever-present napkin tucked in at his neck and Jack was laughing about something, head thrown back. "I love it." He lifted it to look closer, noticing that there was a stack under it.

Jack drew in a breath and looked up. "How did…where…oh, Yan…" He looked back down next picture from the box.

It was one of Jack and Estelle, of them standing on a pier. Jack remembered that day well; remembered the reason for the guarded smile he wore rather than his usual wide-mouthed grin. How he had been trying to hide the fact that he was leaving for good. How sweet her kisses had been – Jack handed it to Ianto and whispered, "Estelle," before going on to the next one.

Jack was seated, two small girls to either side of him. They were on a concrete porch, smiling broadly – the youngest ones hand was a blur as she waved. Ianto watched Jack's smile fill his face. "Annabelle and Katherine," Jack explained. "I was dating their mother." He smiled to himself. "Watched those two grow up. Drove the boys away for a while, then it got to be too hard. Anna married a banker. They have three kids and seven grandkids.

"And Katherine?" Ianto looked back down at the picture. Jack had really not aged one day.

"Ahhh, dear Kate," Jack mused. "She's a member of staff over at Cardiff A&E. Ever wonder how I get all the information from them?" He winked.

"Kate Swift? You know her?" Ianto was shocked. "She won't even return any of the messages I've left." He pouted a bit.

"I'll talk to her," Jack patted Ianto's hand as he went to the next picture.

This one was of a man and a woman. The man had Jack's eyes, and the woman had his smile. They appeared to be wearing wedding attire, but Ianto couldn't be sure.

"Where did you find this?" Jack looked out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to look away from the photo for too long, afraid it might disappear.

"I work in the archives, Jack," Ianto felt the need to remind him. "I can find _anything_."

"I didn't even know they still existed…"

"It was in bad need of repair. They did a really great job."

"My mom looks just like I remember her," Jack carefully touched the woman's face.

"Your mam?" Ianto asked. "I had no idea…so, that would be…"

"My dad."

Ianto felt the need to put his arms around Jack and moved to do so. Jack pulled him as close as he could, trying to hide the fact that he was crying. Ianto wasn't fooled, but know better than to mention the stuttering shake he could fell Jack making. "Maybe save the rest for later?" He suggested.

The only reply Jack could manage came out amidst choked sobs. "Hold me."


	13. Chapter 11b

Crap. Still one more part to Christmas Day. So. Hard. To. Write. Without. Computer.

Thank you so much, Patelyne.

Gods willin' and the creek don't rise, next part of this up tomorrow!

**-**

Jack wiped at his eyes as he finally pulled away from Ianto. "And now I've ruined Christmas-" he laughed out.

Ianto smiled gently. "No, Jack – if anyone is guilty of ruining Christmas, it's me. I'm the one that made you cry."

"Open your present," Jack's voice returned to its normal forceful timber.

Ianto looked down at the box in his lap. It was a simple, solid, wooden box. He turned it over a few times, but found no trick to how it opened. Noticing Jack looking at him impatiently, he snapped the box open and smiled. "Jack, I already have a watch with a chain."

"But this one is special," Jack grinned as Ianto picked it up. "It's broken"

Ianto frowned up at Jack, "Broken? How is _that_ special?"

Jack sighed, taking the watch from him. "Yan, it's not the actual present, it's the reason I bought it."

"And that would be?"

"To show you how long I'll…" Jack's voice dropped off and he looked at Ianto, really looked at him.

"To show me what, Jack?" Ianto challenged, leaning closer.

Jack was forced to look down as he answered. "Well, I thought that the watch, being broken, was, well, a bit like me."

"Go on," Ianto urged, smiling inwardly.

"But, still, it shows how long I'll-" Jack looked up here. "How long I'll love you – our love is endless."

As hard as he tried not to, Ianto's eyes filled with tears as he reached for the timepiece. "It's perfect."

"Now you're crying," Jack pulled him close, kissing his forehead.

"Dirt in my eye," Ianto assured him with a sniff.

"Liar; And a bad one at that, Ianto Jones," Jack pronounced with a tighter hug.

Del, who had been watching from the doorway, turned to leave, but Jack called him back by reaching his arm out wordlessly. Del brushed fingers with Jack before being surprised by being pulled into the sitting hug between his little brother and the man the family had recently met.

"You know, little brother, Mam is still mad about last night," Del said after a moment.

"How do you know?" Ianto asked.

Del smiled his devious smile. "We woke them up in traditional Christmas morning style. I got pinched." He rubbed his arm in memory.

"Serves you right!" Ianto stood, brushing himself off. "Thanks for the warning though. Jack can go ahead out – I need to brush my teeth before facing Mam & Tad."

"Ooh – I get to have the arm candy this morning?" Del stood and offered a hand to Jack who looked at it as if it were poisoned.

"I'm no ones 'arm candy'," Jack informed him as he got to his feet with Ianto's offered hand.

"Keep telling yourself that," the Jones boys chorused.

"Spooky," Jack said, pointing a finger at each of them. "I'm going out there where your mother is less scary…" He backed out of the room with a smirk.

"Is she really still mad?" Ianto asked Del as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Ianto," Del leveled his eyes, "You got pissed and punched your boyfriend repeatedly. We both ended up with our noses in corners – What do you think?"

Ianto grimaced. "Yeah – it was pretty bad then?"

"Brawd, when Mam yelled, I almost wet myself," Delwyn confided.

Ianto sighed, looking at the floor and placing his hands on his hips. "I screwed up."

"That goes without saying. Go brush your teeth – I'll try to divert Mam's attention," Del ruffled his brother's hair and followed after Jack.

Ianto dragged his feet into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. He didn't expect what greeted him. Any member of Torchwood that saw him now wouldn't know him.

"Jesus," he muttered, rubbing the stubble that had sprouted overnight. He had hangover bags under his eyes, and his hair, well, it was best described as 'willy-nilly'. He hastily brushed his teeth and gave up on his hairbrush when it couldn't tame his hair. A quick splash of water over Ianto's face made him feel human enough to walk into the room the laughter was coming from.

"Morning, Yan," Myfanwy's voice greeted, pushing a coffee mug into his hands with a kiss to the check.

"You are an angel," Ianto breathed before inhaling deeply.

"How are you this morning?" Ifan grunted from behind his morning reading.

"Good Tad," Ianto sat, cross-legged beside Jack on the floor. "Thank you."

"Well, are we going to open presents or what?" Del asked rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I'll hand out presents!" Gwen began to get up, but was pulled back down by Del.

"I'll do it!" He hollered, but was pulled by Myfanwy.

"I wanna!" She laughed, tackling him.

In no time the Jones children were wrestling. Despite trying to stay out of it, Jack and Ianto were soon right in the middle.

Glenda came in the room at that moment, "I thought I said not to grab-ass near the tree!" she called, sitting on the couch with her own mug.

"They aren't going to stop, Glen," Ifan said, not even looking.

"Well, then, _Ifan,_ how about making them? They're your kids too." Mrs. Jones sighed, her hand on her forehead.

Mr. Jones popped the newspaper as he tried to read lower. "Not the Harkness one…"

"Nice, Ifan." Glenda rolled her eyes, watching as the moving mass got closer to the Christmas tree. "But they better not knock over the tree-"

Mrs. Jones hadn't finished the last word when there was a loud crash. "Ifan – do something or I may kill them…"

Ifan very carefully closed the paper and sat still. As the Jones children heard the rustle, they stopped in mid 'ass-grab'. A look passed around the four of them, missing Jack.

Quietly, the boys stood and righted the tree. The twins, however, began to pick up balls and ornaments that had fallen, careful to sweep up the ones that had broken. Once the tree looked like it had before the tussle, Ifan smiled and leaned back opening his newspaper once again.

"Jack," He called from behind the newsprint, "could you pass out the presents?"

"Yes, sir," Jack began to root around under the leaning, but redecorated tree, casting a confused look back at the four Jones siblings, only to see them smiling back.


	14. Chapter 11c

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: So, after an extended absence, this is almost done being typed. I have all the parts handwritten, it's only a matter of finding the time to type it in – which I am trying to do at this very moment. So, there may be a double post. In fact, I hope there is. As always, enjoy!

**-**

Glenda Jones surveyed the large pile of wrapping paper with a sigh. Finally, it was like Christmas to her – the presents were unwrapped and everyone was tinkering with what they had received.

Ifan was trying to tune in a station on the antique radio Jack had given him – the one he declared his favorite gift.

Del was trying to get a feel for the controls on his remote-controlled helicopter, buzzing the girls occasionally – if only to hear them squeal.

"Delwyn Robert!" Mrs. Jones scolded, "Stop that or you aren't getting any lunch!" She shook her head, musing on the fact that things never really changed.

"Mam," Del whined, "Jack's doing the same thing!" He pointed to where Jack and the girls were messing with the plane he had gotten – Jack pointing out parts of the plane and telling the twins stories of when he got to fly one just like it.

"He's not trying to _attack_ Myfanwy and Gwen with it," Glenda observed, taking the remote from her oldest son, trying not to spill her cup of coffee as she did so.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Ianto muttered under his breath, earning a confused frown from his mother. "What?" He looked up from the French Press and grinder his parents gifted him. "This is great by the way. The grinder at work is starting to get dull..."

"Your father wasn't sure if you had one or not," Mrs. Jones looked down at the antique locket Jack had given her. "Does this thing open?" She handed it over to Ianto.

He popped it open and an accordion of frames fell out. "There's pictures." He looked, even as he passed the locket over, "And they're of us."

"How did you -" She looked down at the pictures encased in tiny patina-ed frames. The first one was of her and Ifan on their wedding day, followed by her favorite pictures of Delwyn, Ianto, Myfanwy, and Gwenda – ending at the other side of the locket with a small engraved 'Merry Xmas – Love, Jack'.

"Ifan," she turned to her husband, "Did you give him these?"

"Might have," Ifan answered, his smile hidden.

"Jack, these are my favorites," she got up and went to stand over him. "But there's a picture missing." Jack looked up from the controls he was fiddling with.

"What do you mean?" He reached for the locket, popping it open once it was in his hand, "No, they're all there."

Mrs. Jones ruffled his hair. "Yours isn't..."

"Why would you want my ugly face in there?" Jack laughed, handing it back.

"It's going in there, whether you want it to or not. You can give me a good one, or I can take one. Your choice." She patted him on the head maternally.

"Be sure to get my good side, Mam," he smiled up at her once again.

"I think I may have a good one," Ianto said from the couch. "You can have it if you want."

"Not helping," Jack looked at the man.

"Yes, Ianto, that would be lovely, thank you." Mrs Jones gave her own brand of smile to her son.

"Traitor," Jack mumbled and looked over to see Ianto grinning. "Did I also mention 'kiss ass'?" He talked to the girls as he worried with the controller again.

"Always has been," Del remarked, getting his helicopter to fly dangerously close to Myfanwy's hair and making her squeal.

"Son, take it outside," Ifan instructed in an even tone. "You too, Harkness."

Delwyn and Jack took their presents to the door, the girls close behind. "You coming?" Jack turned to ask Ianto before following the herd.

"Yeah, just let me get the camera." Ianto stopped himself from blowing Jack a kiss, not sure where the impulse had even come from.

Jack disappeared out the door and Ianto turned to his mother. "I'm sorry about last night."

"It's in the past, son, leave it," Mrs. Jones patted him on the head before running her hand through his hair. "You could do with a trim."

"Jack likes it like this," Ianto answered automatically, feeling his ears starting to turn red even as it was leaving his mouth.

His mother's warm smile almost brought him to tears. "So, you're happy, then?" Ianto nodded. "Do you plan on going to service with us tonight?"

"Oh, Mam, it wouldn't be Christmas without it." He hugged her and then pulled back, taking his wallet from his pocket. "I think this picture may be small enough for your locket."

Taking the picture, Glenda remarked, "It's perfect, But I don't want to take your picture, son -" She tried to press it back into his hand.

"Mam, I have another of that one. Take it." He pushed it back to her and watched as a look crossed his mother's face – one Ianto couldn't read.

"Go outside with the other kids, Ianto," Ifan forcefully suggested. "Your Mam has lunch ready."

"Yes, sir." Ianto picked up his camera and went out into the backyard.

Jack and Del were racing their flying machines and Myfanwy and Gwen were taking bets as to who was going to crash theirs first. Ianto stood back and watched for a moment, snapping a few pictures of his brother and Jack running after one another, remotes in hand.

"Ianto! Watch this!" Jack dipped the plane toward him, making Ianto duck as the wing dipped to low and touched the top of his head.

"_You_ watch it," Ianto mumbled, looking sideways at the now-laughing Jack.

"Come on, Yan," Del called out, "Don't be angry that Mam and Tad didn't get you something fun."

"I got something fun," Ianto defended in a pout, his hands on his hips. "With what they got me and Myfanwy and Gwen's thoughtful gift of 'Coffees of the Month', I'm going to have _plenty_ of fun..."

"Oh, so my gift wasn't good enough to make the cut?" Del stopped what he was doing to look at his brother.

"Del," Ianto was trying to stay calm, not start anything before lunch, "A 'Sarcastic Ball' is not something I had on my wishlist..."

"Thought you could use it. Sorr-ee." He rolled his eyes and went back to the remote. "Is he always this boring, Jack?" Jack nodded, his smirk appearing as he looked over at the man in question. "And you _still_ fell for him?"

"You wanna know a secret, Del?" He flew his own plane toward the helicopter again. "I think that may be _why_ I fell for him. Too much drama in my past." Jack glanced over to see that Ianto's frown of thought had changed to a goofy smile. "And there it is..."

"Awww..." Gwen cooed, smacking Myfanwy on the arm when she made a huffing noise.

"What?" Myfanwy asked. "Like you aren't jealous?"

"I'm happy for our brother," she smiled back at her twin.

"Bullshit."

"You challenging me?" Gwen puffed up, he smile turning fierce.

"I know how your mind works, you forget-" Myfanwy put on the same look.

"Hey," Ianto called, moving to stand between his sisters.

Jack ran to stop him. "Wait a minute. Girl fight. Not to mention Jones sibling fight. Please, Yan, if you love me..." He held his hands together in beg.

Ianto rolled his eyes and settled back, his arms crossed. "Fine. Whatever. Not like they were going to listen to me _anyway_."

"What? You aren't getting pictures?" Jack reached for the digital, but only got his hand slapped for the effort.

Del came to stand beside them, his helicopter now forgotten. "He's right about that, Yan. Mam would love to have these for her scrapbook."

"No, _Del_, she wouldn't," Ianto said, now snatching the camera from Delwyn.

"Dearest Fanny," Gwen was saying in her 'trying-to-stay-calm' voice. "I know how your pretty little head works."

"Gwenda, _love_," the reply came back, "I know how yours works as well..."

"I saw you looking at him!"

"Oh, really? Must have been hard to look two ways at once." Myfanwy drew in a shocked breath. "Oh _wait_ – you have that one funny eye – maybe _that's_ how you do it-"

Gwen's eyes grew wide. "Oh. You. Are. _So_ dead." She leapt at her sister, grabbing a chunk of hair as she came at her.

Jack leaned over and whispered to Ianto. "Please, please, _please_ – let me have the camera?"

Ianto merely looked at Jack, his face blank.

"Should I go get the mop and broom?" Del asked, earning him the same look from his brother, but a small giggle from Jack.

"Lunch is ready!" Glenda called from the door before seeing her daughters fighting. "Ah, Jesus H. Christ on a crutch!"

Having not heard their mother, Gwen and Myfanwy continued the hair-pulling and insults.

"Can we just go one day without _somebody_ fighting?" Mrs. Jones marched out the door, not bothering to stop to put anything on her feet. "Stop it!" Taking each girl by an arm, she marched them toward the house. "Why are you fighting?"

"She started it!" Myfanwy pointed angrily at Gwen.

"_She_ started it by being in my head!" Gwen shot back, struggling against their mother.

"Gwenda! Knock it off. No one is in anyone's head," Glenda pinched her on the underside of the arm.

"Ouch! Mam!"

"Maybe you'll stop fighting," she said, still hauling each girl by the arm. "_Or_ you can deal with your Tad."

Myfanwy halted, digging her heels into the ground. "Were we fighting, Gwen?"

"I don't think we were, Fan," Gwen stopped on her mother's other side.

"Good – now go on and set the table for lunch," she pushed them both toward the door before turning to the three men and pointing her first finger at them purposefully, "I'll deal with you lot later."

"What did _we_ do?" Del asked, picking up his toy and walking toward his mother.

"You could have broken that up," she cuffed the back of his head. "And you two-" She looked over to Ianto and Jack.

"What?" Ianto was genuinely shocked, "I told them no pictures!"

"You took pictures?!?"

"No ma'am," Jack answered truthfully, careful to withhold the information that it was his idea to do so in the first place.

"Good," Mrs Jones pointed a finger in turn at the boys, "Or you would have had a problem. Now get inside."

Jack picked up his plane from where it had landed before going back to Ianto. "She meant that, didn't she?"

Ianto nodded, eyes wide, before accepting Jack's hand and walking back to the house for lunch.


	15. Chapter 11d

Title: Christmas With the Jones – Chapter 11d

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: _Finally_, they get to the church!

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: Okay, so this would have been done a lot earlier, but I got lost on the service. Being a heathen who never sets foot in them for fear of collapse or other phenom – I asked around. And came up with this. Sorry if I am way off. Oh, yeah, this one is for Patelyne, who was my big damn hero during the writing of this. She got me off my butt and onto walking FIVE miles!!! Wow. Anyway, enjoy. Only two more parts of this. Then, on to the new one...also, notice janto_gal, your line got in!

**-**

"Jack, come on!" Ianto took one last look in the mirror before going to check on him.

"I don't know, Ianto," Jack's voice met him before he actually laid eyes on him.

Shrugging on his new suit jacket, Ianto looked up to see what Jack may be unsure of. The sight he was met with almost took his breath away.

Though the material of the suit that Jack was wearing was identical to his own – thanks to Mr. Jones – Jack's fit very different. Somehow, Ifan Jones had managed to capture Jack's style, and yet, updated it.

"What do you think?" Jack turned around slowly in question.

"I...it's...there are no words," he stood, motionless, waiting for his vocabulary to come back to him.

Jack faced him, "Is that good or bad?" He looked down at his attire again.

Ianto closed the space between them. "It's wonderful. Tad did a great job." He reached for Jack's hand. "I never thought I'd see the day Jack Harkness would doubt himself."

"Ianto," Jack turned serious, "we're going to church, I need to let you know that there is a very real chance that the walls will begin to ooze blood..."

"Oh, stop it." Ianto punched him in the arm. "I thought you were being serious."

Jack kissed him in response. "You look nice."

"I said to be serious," Ianto warned.

"I _am_ serious." He looked from Ianto's suit to his own. "We match. Do you do this every year?"

"It's tradition." Ianto gave his familiar nod. "We all match to go greet God."

Jack held in a laugh. "We _all_ match? You mean the whole family?"

"Yes, that's the best part about having a Tad who is a master tailor." Ianto reached to fix Jack's tie. "Seems funny to see you out of your usual clothes."

"You've seen me out of my clothes plenty," Jack moved to put his hands on Ianto's hips, drawing him closer.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Ianto scolded, leaning in to kiss Jack one time before they had to go out and join the others. "Now, we have to go to church. The walls will neither cave in nor bleed – please don't say anything like that in the car. It's going to be cramped enough will all of us in there."

"We can't take a separate car?" Jack asked, running his hand through Ianto's hair. "By the way, I like your hair like this – don't cut it."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "No, Jack, another tradition is that we all arrive in the one car. If we tried to take another one, I might get Mam's version of the evil eye. And, to tell you the truth, I would much rather slow-dance with a Weevil than make my Mam mad on the actual day of Christmas."

Jack smiled knowingly, wondering if Ianto really knew everything there was to know about his mother – how she herself had been the one to teach Jack scare-tactics that proved to be more than effective on many the occasion, yet still managed to scare Jack himself witless. "Okay then, the whole family squished into the back of the family car it is. I suppose it can't be that bad."

Ianto just looked at him. The last time they had done this, Delwyn hadn't been home and Lisa was the one going to church with the family. That was the year that Tad had made the suit that Jack liked so much on him. The one he had worn when there were no others clean and Jack had commented on. The one that he swore he would _never_ wear again after Lisa. Dear God, they were going to ask about Lisa...

"...to the church?" Jack was finishing up when Ianto snapped out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ianto frowned at himself. "What were you saying?"

Jack cast a side-glance at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Ianto lied. "What were you saying?" he tried again.

"I was asking when we needed to get going to get to the church; are you _sure_ you're alright?" Jack touched Ianto's cheek tenderly.

"Fine, fine," Ianto pulled away. "And we need to get going _now_. Are you ready?"

Jack checked his pockets and reached for his coat. "As ready as I am ever going to be."

Ianto stopped him, taking the coat. "Nope."

"What?" Jack reached for his security blanket.

"Can't wear the coat. Mam will go spare." Ianto placed it on the lower bunk, just out of Jack's reach.

"I have to _freeze_?" Jack whined, resisting the urge to stomp his feet.

"You can wear my coat if you want," Ianto offered.

Jack merely stared at him. They had been through this one time before when they had decided to dress as one another for a fancy dress party Gwen had thrown. He had to admit, Ianto had looked damned sexy in Jack's usual dress, full to the braces and coat, but Jack had been so pinched by the shoulders of the suit jacket he was wearing that he had abandoned it halfway through the night in favor of only the dress shirt, tie and waistcoat combo he also favored Ianto in. His shoulders were simply too narrow for Jack to wear any coat that fit the Welshman in a complimentary way. "I can't."

"Jack, not now." Ianto set his hands on his hips and looked at the ceiling as if saying a silent prayer. "Can't you go anywhere without it?"

"It's not that I _can't_, Yan, it's that I will freeze my gorgeous ass off without it. And, you don't want that now, do you?" He tried puppy-dog eyes.

Ianto was having none of it. "Listen, I can see if Del has something here. His shoulders are a bit wider than mine."

"Fine." Jack openly pouted, scuffing his shoe on the floor. "But I won't like it."

"You don't have to, _Captain_; you only have to do it." Ianto went out the door to find his brother, Jack close on his heels.

"Del!" Ianto called, his hands in his pockets as he walked down the hallway to the sitting room, "Do you have a coat Jack could borrow?"

"Sure, no problem," Del called back from his own bedroom. "I'll get it and meet you in the kitchen."

"See?" Ianto reached for Jack's hand. "Problem solved."

Jack smiled at him, still missing the weight of his coat. But he forgot all of that by the time they reached the sitting room, where the others were gathered. Ifan was standing with his back to them, Glenda fixing his tie and collar for him. Jack couldn't help but notice that Ianto's father was built very much like his sons. His mind flashed back to a time when he was younger, though he didn't look any different than he did right that moment.

_A young woman who looked very much like one of the twins was leaning, the upper half of her body on the table in front of her. She was smiling at a man who had his hands tied behind his back, but the smile was not so much calming as it was terrifying. "I'm going to ask you one more time, Harkness. And this time, let's try to give the right answer, shall we?"_

_Jack had just smiled at her, the very smile that caused her son to come undone. He had said no words, uttered no sound at all. Just stared at her, memorizing the curve of her mouth; looking at her face and thinking that under different circumstances, he would like to be smothering that tiny nose with impossibly light kisses. That very action had made her mad._

"_Harkness," she purred, taking another tact, "Why don't you tell me what you were doing out on the docks so that we can get out of here?"_

_Jack's interest had been piqued. "Me and you?" _

_She had sighed, rolling her eyes in a way that Jack now thought he should have recognized. "No, out of this room – you and I separately."_

"_Then I am going to have to decline the offer, thank you anyway, Miss..." He fished for her name._

_She had shaken her head at him. And smiled. Dear God, she had smiled. Smiled even as she had pinned his hand to the table with that sharp-ass knife. Right in the middle of his upturned palm. "Now. Again. What were you doing there?"_

_Jack had gritted his teeth through the pain. "Picking up dock-workers," he had answered coolly, his eyes never once leaving hers._

"_Wrong again." She had come around to him and pulled him by the lapel, not caring about the pain from twisting his arm. "You can't be __**that**__ desperate. Just tell me. End all of this."_

"_You know," Jack gritted his teeth, "All you have to do is say you'll go out with me, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know over a meal, maybe a nightcap?" _

"_Now, now, none of that. I am only interested in hearing the truth – right here, right now." She held her spot, never taking her hands off him. "Are you going to tell me?"_

_Against all he had been taught by his own mother about respecting females, Jack's Time Agent training had kicked in and he acted on autopilot. He leered at her just one moment before letting loose and spitting in her face._

_And that's when it had all gone wrong. The woman had just smiled at him – a smile that, had it been directed at anyone else, might have been amusing – and delivered a headbutt that had knocked Jack from the chair and torn his hand from the table. "Bastard!" She had left him in that room, not knowing whether he should hold his head or his hand. Then, he had blacked out._

"...ready?" Ianto's voice broke Jack out of the vision he was wrapped up in.

Jack shook his head and rubbed it in memory, nodding to Ianto. "Yeah, how are we going to work this again?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could take two cars this year," Mam spoke up. "What?"

"We _never_ take two cars," Myfanwy said, casting a sideways glance at Ianto to see what he thought of that.

"Well, we need to now." Glenda shot back. "Where is Delwyn Robert?"

"Right here, Mam," he called, tossing the leather jacket at Jack as he came into the room, looking for all the world like a carbon copy of his little brother. Jack tried not to think of that as he slipped the coat on.

"Okay then," Mrs. Jones was putting her own coat on. "Ifan, you, Delwyn and the girls go in our car. Ianto and Jack will give me a ride in their car – won't you?"

"Yeah," the two of them answered automatically, afraid to say no.

"Good, Ianto put on your coat and quit holding it. You too, Delwyn." She pulled her own on. "This family would fall apart without me."

Ianto did as she said and offered her his arm on the way out the door. Mrs. Jones accepted it, and turned to her husband once they were both outside, "We'll meet you there. Wait for us outside."

"Yes, Glen-," Ifan said, unlocking the doors. "Be careful." He walked over to kiss her before he got into the vehicle.

Jack sighed watched them, they were so perfectly fit together. Mrs. Jones caught him and smiled. "Can I have front seat, dear?"

"No other way," Jack agreed, running to get the door for her. Once she was inside, he went back to the driver's side to get into the back seat. "Well, here we go." He smiled at Ianto as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Oh," Glenda said, turning in her seat to look at Jack. "You should know that we are going to show you off."

"Oh, Mam," Ianto begged as he started the SUV. "Don't."

"You're embarrassed of your boyfriend, then?" She made a clucking noise with her tongue before turning back to Jack. "Our church is very open. I don't know what his problem is."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "It's not that, Mam, it's just..." He let out a soft sigh, knowing it was useless to even try arguing with her. "Okay. Introduce him around."

"I was going to anyway, Ianto Andras." She shifted in her seat. "I don't need your approval. I am your mother."

Jack held in a laugh and noticed that Ianto had his left hand sandwiched beside the seat, held out for the other man to take. He grabbed it and gave it a little squeeze, noting the small smile Ianto gave him in the rearview mirror. Jack was glad that he was being accepted into the family, if not a little nervous at the same time.

"We're here," Ianto announced after a bit and Jack looked out the window to see that the rest of their group was already there, the twins leaning against the car in boredom as Del was busy watching the people going by. With one last squeeze of Jack's hand, he let it go.

They joined the others, Glenda beaming at Ifan as he took her hand. Del offered an arm to each of the girls, leaving Jack and Ianto to look at one another before making the choice to merely walk behind everyone. On the inside, it was cozy, and it was clear to Jack that families had their own sections that they usually sat in. Mrs. Jones led them to one right in the middle – not too close, but not so close to the exit either.

"Hey there, stranger," A voice called to Ianto before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Becca!" Ianto sighed in relief. "I am so glad to see you."

"And this is Kyle." She gestured to the man standing beside her. "Kyle, this is Ianto Jones."

"Pleased to meet you, Ianto," Kyle offered a hand that Ianto took. "Becca was telling me that she saw you at the mall the other day. Hoped I'd get to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well," Ianto gave a short nod. "Heard a lot about you from her."

There was a chuckle from the two of them as they realized that they had run out of things to say. Jack stepped in with a greeting.

"Hi, Becca," He offered a hug before looking over to Kyle. "This must be Kyle." She nodded and he continued. "Pleased to meet you, Jack Harkness."

Kyle took the hand he was offered and shook it. "Nice to meet you as well."

More silence followed and then Glenda was there. "Oh, hello – Becca, Kyle – nice to see you again. Doing well?" She watched them nod before turning to the boys. "You two go ahead and sit here."

Everyone seemed to be settling into their seats, so Jack and Ianto followed suit. Mr. Jones smiled as he took his seat next to Ianto; he had sat on the end since the kids were small in the event they needed to leave the room for a moment. Jack was next in the line, with Mrs. Jones beside him. She patted his leg after he sat - a small reassurance, but one that he needed. "It will be fine, dear," She told him in her church whisper.

"We're going to sing," Ianto leaned in to warn Jack, thinking it might put him more at ease. But, somehow, he felt him go more rigid. "Don't worry, we don't have to stand or anything. Just sit here." Ianto laughed on the inside. Something about Jack being afraid of churches and the activities that went on inside them struck him as extremely funny.

After singing, a verse was said, and then, that was when it all got very confusing. The congregation was asked to greet the newcomers - and Jack had felt Mrs Jones pushing on him to stand while Ianto held him to the seat by a hidden hand pulling on the back of his coat. This resulted in a mad whisper across him between mother and son that had Jack holding in a laugh. Finally, it was decided that Ianto and Jack would stand together and nod, nothing more.

They stood and looked around, seeing other couples standing, thinking that would be it, but then someone began calling names of the members of the church who were standing and asking who they had brought along. Ianto tensed beside Jack. All the other couples were male-female. He tried to drag Jack back down to sitting, but found that his mother had slung her leg over the seat of the pew. Sighing, he introduced Jack when called on to do so, hoping that it didn't sound like he didn't want to be there. Judging from the looks on the rest of the congregation's faces, he was fine. Shooting his mother a hateful look, they sat once again.

Ianto didn't hear the rest of the service, for all of the thoughts going on in his head. Twice he looked over at Jack, only to find him listening so intently that his look wasn't returned. But Del noticed him.

"Ianto, calm down," he whispered roughly. "You knew it was going to be like that. Mam wasn't going to let you get away with just standing."

"I know," Ianto hissed back, ignoring the look he was getting from Glenda as he talked behind her and Jack. "Shut it, will you?"

Glenda caught Ifan's eye and nodded almost imperceptibly. Ifan thumped Ianto in the back of the head with a quick movement, his eyes facing front.

"Owww..." Ianto groaned, bringing a hand to the spot he had been hit in.

"Look forward, boy," Ifan growled, bringing Ianto right back into his childhood.

Ianto grunted and crossed his arms on his chest until it was all over, at which point Glenda pulled him away from Jack and into a group of her friends. Ianto stood as she bragged on how well he was doing working for the Cardiff Tourism Board, wishing he could just go out back and have a cigarette like he used to after Christmas service.

Across the room, he spotted Jack with his sisters, talking animated to a group of their friends, hoping he wasn't telling too many tales out of school. He was still watching, a smile on his face when he felt himself being pulled again. Spinning, he found Becca.

"Ianto? I have someone I want you to meet," She said, more addressing Mrs. Jones than Ianto himself. "Is that okay?"

"You go on, son," Glenda urged, as if he had been the one to stand there on his own. "Becca will take care of you."

Becca smiled at her as she dragged him further into the crowd. "You looked like you needed to be rescued," she explained. "You can breathe now."

"Thanks." Ianto smiled down at her before searching once again for Jack.

"He's perfect for you, you know," Becca's voice was saying.

"What?" Ianto looked down. "Who?"

Becca gave him a look he knew well. Tosh had the same look, he thought off-handedly. Maybe that was why he felt so close to her. "Jack." Ianto went to protest, but she continued. "Don't try to play like it's something it's not." Ianto nodded, not really knowing what else there was to say. "Oh, there's Rosemary. Ianto, you remember my cousin? She used to come over during the summers?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Oh well, she's coming this way."

"Hello, Becca – is that Ianto Jones?" A blonde girl that reminded Ianto a bit of Gwen Cooper asked, shifting the baby she was carrying on her hip.

"It is," Ianto answered. "Rosemary?" He vaguely remembered her, but with the help of a supplied name, he figured he could play it off.

"Oh my gosh, you remember me. That's so funny!" She laughed in a more nervous than amused way and turned to Becca. "Can you hold Oliver for me? I'll only be a minute."

"Sure." Ianto heard Becca's response, but was busy watching Jack. If he wasn't so secure in the way he knew Jack felt about him, he might have been more than a little jealous of his little sisters and the attention they were getting from the Captain. Even without the coat, the man made the same movement that would cause the fabric to move _just so. _His thoughts were interrupted by something being pushed into his arms. It wasn't until he was already holding the object that he registered it as Oliver.

"I can't-" he began, but Becca was already threading back through the crowd, for a reason Ianto hadn't actually heard. Looking down at the small boy, he smiled and put him to his shoulder, noticing the way the little boy molded to fit him. The child let out a small sigh and Ianto felt him get heavier. He managed to find Jack again, this time catching his eye. Jack's face softened when he realized who was staring at him, frowning a bit at the scene he was witnessing. Ianto shrugged and smiled back. Their eyes locked for a moment and something – Ianto wasn't sure what – passed between them.

"Give me that baby," Mrs Jones demanded, pulling on Ianto and breaking his eye contact. "Oh, he's getting so big!" She cuddled the baby to her and Oliver sighed, contented once again. "Go over there with Jack, I've got this." Ianto smiled, grateful to her. "Not like I have any grandchildren to cuddle..." she smiled as he rolled his eyes and went to join Jack.

"I need some fresh air," Ianto told Jack as he neared him, running a hand up the back of his neck as a nervous habit. "How about you?"

Jack nodded, turning to the young women surrounding him. "Ladies, it has been nice meeting all of you." He then let Ianto lead him outside with a sigh. "Well, that went well." He reached for Ianto's hand and found it waiting for him.

"If, by 'well' you mean that it was a fucking train wreck then, yes, it went well." He pulled himself closer to Jack. "I wish I had a cigarette..." he mused, half-talking to himself.

"Yan?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"They're _your_ family," He reminded him.

Ianto laughed in the back of his throat. "I know." He looked at Jack. "They're not perfect, but that's _why_ I love them."

"Hmmm," Jack mused.

"What?"

"Must be a 'Jones' thing."

"What? What are you on about?"

"It's the same reason _I_ love _you_."


	16. Chapter 12

Title: Christmas With the Jones – Chapter 12

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: And now, the next day...

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: Patelyne is still playing the role of Big Damn Hero. At least five times this week, she has talked me out of getting a tongue piercing (mainly because I fear finding out what she means by her 'best imitation of a Jackie Tyler slap'...) and is making sure I stick to getting healthy. And we won't even talk about how she has talked me back from 'the crazy ledge' – sometimes she's a way better friend than I deserve! That being said – this is the next to the last chapter, but by no means an end to their story. I have another one, but figured Christmas should finally be over...

**-**

Ianto rolled out of bed, dragging himself to his feet. He was sure that he and Jack had both fallen asleep on the bottom bunk, curled together, but he was nowhere to be found this morning. Sighing, he realized where Jack was – he could hear the laughter coming from all the way down the hall. Shaking his head and heading for the bathroom, he wondered if that man _ever_ stopped.

"Hey there, Yan," Del said, just finishing up brushing his teeth. "I can hear your boyfriend in there with Mam."

Ianto rolled his eyes and looked into the mirror, into his brother's eyes. "_Everyone _can hear Jack."

"So, you guys are leaving today?" Del didn't move from his place in front of the sink.

"Yeah, work to get back to," Ianto answered, running a hand through his hair to fix it.

"Must be rough, being in the tourism business," Del smirked. "Sounds thrilling."

Ianto fixed his gaze. "Not now, Del. It's too early."

"What?"

"Is it always going to be like this?" Ianto reached for his toothbrush.

"Like what?" Del combed his own hair. "Us meeting in the bathroom? We've always done this – for as long as I can remember. Chalk it up to Mam getting us on the same waking schedule."

"No, Del, I mean _this_," he pointed back and forth between him and his brother. "The part where you strike out at me with words. The part where you try to make me feel small with simple units of language."

"What? I mean, it _is_ a boring job. After all, tourism is showing other people the world - not seeing it for yourself. How is _that_ a dream job?"

"I don't give you crap for your boring desk job - staring at the same four walls day after day. How is _that_ more exciting?" Ianto looked smugly at his brother. "You _really_ don't know as much as you _think_ you do."

"I know that Mam and Tad wish you had managed to marry Lisa."

Ianto was silent for a moment. "She died. How was that my fault?" Ianto could feel his temper building, but resolved not to let mere words get to him. He didn't want to fall into that trap yet again. "Besides, Del, it must suck to be hiding from everyone, even yourself."

"What does _that_ mean?" Del knew he was similarly on dangerous territory. One word could turn this all very bad. He hoped, if it was said, that he wouldn't be the one to say it.

They were saved by the presence of the girls, running in and pushing them out. "It's _our_ turn!" they chorused.

"You've been in here long enough!" Myfanwy whined, shutting the door, leaving the brothers to stare at one another and wonder what had just happened.

"I suppose that I should go and rescue Mam," Ianto said at last.

"You should," Del agreed. "But you might want to change first. Nice pajamas, but you're a bit underdressed." He looked down at his own jeans.

"Right." Ianto agreed, grateful for the disturbance; grateful that he no longer had to finish a conversation he saw getting wildly out of hand. "Meet you in the kitchen."

"Yeah," Del agreed. "Oh, and you can just leave my coat on my bed. Didn't get it back last night."

"Sure. It's just in here." Ianto opened the door to his room and looked around. Suddenly, faced with the fact that he would be leaving today and hoping to return in a year - but not really knowing what would happen – he really looked at the space before him.

Their half-packed bags were sitting on the top bunk, piles of things to be packed were next to them. A pair of Jack's socks - he knew they were Jack's because they had a gold toe – were lying in the middle of the floor. Ianto's jacket was hung neatly on the back of the desk chair; his pants from the night before slung over one of the arms. In contrast, Jack's suit was hung neatly on a hanger that dangled from the knob on the wardrobe that had been in the room forever. Ianto marveled at the fact that he had managed not to leave it lying where it was taken off - unlike the dark slacks he found next, braces still attached. Shaking his head, he went to the wardrobe to get out the suit that he had hung in there for the trip back. Fearing that the Rift would begin to act up the second they were within the city's boundaries, Ianto had planned to be in full work attire. He knew, based on what was left in the room, that Jack was back to his usual mode of dress as well.

Once he had finished knotting his tie, he grabbed the leather Jack had worn to church the night before and tossed it in Del's room before going to the kitchen to find out what Jack was up to. He stood in the doorway observing for a moment. Jack was leaning on the counter, his arms crossed on his chest, talking to Mrs. Jones. She was laughing the lilting laugh that Ianto remembered from his childhood.

Seeing Ianto in the doorway, Jack's face lit up. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Jack held out a welcoming arm to him.

Ianto smiled and accepted the arm, letting Jack wrap it around him.

"None of that in the kitchen, son," Ifan called out from his usual spot at the table. Ianto wondered briefly how he could see through newsprint in the first place.

"You have packing left to do," Ianto reminded Jack, ignoring his father's comment the best he could.

Jack went a bit boneless in tantrum form before giving Ianto his 'please-do-it-for-me' look. "But I was helping Mam."

"What were you helping her do? Eat this wonderful breakfast she made?" He reached over for a piece of bacon.

"Something like that," Jack opened his mouth for the remaining bite Ianto held. Ianto sighed and fed it to him. Jack's smile grew as he chewed.

"Do you have to go today?" Glenda asked, the disappointment clear in her voice. "Couldn't you just take one more day?"

"We've been gone too long as it is, Mam," Ianto answered for Jack. "We'll come for a visit as soon as we can, I promise."

"You better." She pointed a finger at him. "You'll make him, right, Jack?"

"Yes, Mam." He was serious about the oath, and the both of them knew it.

"Did you put my coat in my room?" Del asked from the table.

"Yes." Ianto turned to look at him, thankful for a distraction for the second time that morning. "It's on your bed."

"Go and pack, Ianto. Jack can help me get the rest of breakfast on the table," Mrs. Jones instructed, pushing a plate into each of Jack's hands.

"O-kay," Ianto frowned. He felt like he was being pushed out of the kitchen, but anything was preferable to having one last confrontation before they left.

"Yan-toe!" The girls chorused as they ran by him in the hall.

"Where are you going all dressed up?" Myfanwy pulled on his lapels.

"We're leaving today," Ianto reminded her.

"Oh." Her face fell. "We liked you being here."

"Yeah," Gwen agreed. "It was like when we were growing up again."

"But it's not." Ianto said suddenly. "It's not like when we grew up anymore. There's something else. Listen, I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this. If you _ever_ see anything you are unsure of, call me. _Please_."

Gwen and Myfanwy arched their eyebrows at him, unsure what to make of that statement, but supposed it was just their brother and agreed. Ianto was aware they were watching him as he continued on to his room to pack. He cursed himself as he pulled the bags down from the top bunk. He had no idea why he had said that to them, it just seemed right at the time. He picked up the clothes that were scattered around the room, not bothering to see whose bag he shoved them in; he know he would be the one to wash them all anyway. Once he had zipped the suits into the garment bag, he found his sneakers and shoved them into his duffle. Satisfied that he had collected everything, he took one last look around the room. He set the bags, the box they had collected from the attic and the box that he had given Jack for Christmas near the door. Looking back, he went to the shelf and scooped up the journals that were there and put them in his bag. He was sure that that was everything, as Jack had already taken the other presents out to the SUV last night in an attempt to help out. He took one last look and smiled a sad smile, before picking up one of the duffle bags and swinging the garment bag over his shoulder. "Goodbye, Pastry King; until next time."

Making his reappearance to the kitchen, he noticed that Jack was eating with the others and his mother was packing a basket.

"What are you doing, Mam?" He asked, shifting the weight he carried. "Please don't tell me that's for us."

"Ianto Jones, you are going to break your dear mother's heart talking like that," she scolded. "Of course it's for you and Jack. Can't send you boys home empty handed."

"Mam, we'll be fine. It's _only_ a four hour trip," he reminded her, moving to open the door. "Despite what Jack may say, he will _not_ perish in that short amount of time from lack of food."

"Don't sass your Mam," Ifan said from somewhere, Ianto wasn't even sure where. He didn't bother to look as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Ianto popped the locks on the SUV and began to load it up. He moved aside the Wii that Del had given Jack in an attempt to give the best gift this year, knowing that Jack would want to try it out later. He was pretty sure that the only one that would be a real match for Jack, however, would be Owen. He laughed at the thought of the snarky doctor putting Jack in his place before shutting the back and going in for the rest.

"You going to help me, Jack?" Ianto asked, coming back in the door, the smell of bacon really hitting him this time and causing his stomach to growl.

"Sit and eat," Mrs. Jones bossed from her seat.

"Can't, Mam," Ianto looked at his watch, but remembered he had taken it off. "We need to get on the road soon. We're running late as it is." He looked pointedly at Jack, who was oblivious. "Once I get the rest of the stuff in the SUV, we'll need to head out. Not that it hasn't been fun..."

Del snorted. Mam gave him a glare that caused him to fix his eyes on his plate. The twins laughed, trying not to look directly at their mother, for fear they would get the same look.

"I'll go get it," Jack jumped up. "You sit and eat."

"No, if we both get the rest, we can get going sooner," Ianto was eager to get back to their normal life, as abnormal as it was to everyone else.

Jack shook his head in a way to indicate that this was just Ianto's way and followed him out of the room. "What's going on?" he asked once they were out of earshot.

"Eager to get back to the job is all," Ianto answered, picking up the two boxes and leaving the remaining two bags for Jack.

"Right," Jack was skeptical. He knew there was something more, but he knew not to push. "Let's get the SUV loaded and say our goodbyes then."

Ianto walked out the door before turning back to Jack. "If I forgot to tell you today, thank you." He smiled.

"You're welcome," Jack sighed, knowing he was beaten. "Now come on. We have road to burn."

They walked the last of the luggage out and, after rearranging it three times, they went back into the house to say their farewells.

"Del, you'll have to come visit," Ianto offered, but Jack could hear the hollowness in the invitation.

"Be careful, little brother, I could take you up on that. And then where would you be?" Del laughed, punching him playfully in the arms before Ianto shocked everyone and drew him into an embrace.

"And you two," Ianto addressed the girls, who stood near Jack, "Behave for Mam and Tad." He cracked a smile. "And you are always welcome to visit as well."

"Ooooo," Jack added, suddenly excited into talking with his hands, "Maybe next time, you'll get in a fight – and you can dress like cheerleaders – no! Flight attendants – no! Nurses..." Jack was surprised by the smack on the arm he got from Mrs. Jones – it was surprisingly hard.

"Watch it, son," Ifan cautioned, no longer behind his paper, but standing with the group. "She has quite the arm on her."

Jack rubbed the spot she had hit and frowned. "I was only joking, Mam."

"You had better have been," She warned, a look familiar to Jack in her eyes. "Ianto, keep an eye on him. Jack can get himself into trouble." She hugged the both of them and turned to hand Jack the basket she had packed. "There's a few snacks – Ianto quit making that face – and a thermos of coffee. Never know what you will need."

"Mam, we _won't_ need it," Ianto assured her, but didn't try to take it from Jack.

"Be careful," Ifan said, patting his son on the arm before looping an arm around his wife. "Call us when you get there."

Ianto nodded. "I will." He let Jack take his hand and they walked out to the vehicle.

"So, that's the family," Jack said as he settled into the passenger seat, basket safely stowed in the backseat.

"Afraid so," Ianto was tugging on the seatbelt as he got into the driver's seat. "What do you think?"

Jack thought for a moment. "I like them. I like them a lot."

"They like you too," Ianto admitted.

"So much that one of them is trying to go with us." Jack pointed to the girl running out to the SUV.

Ianto rolled down his window. "What is it, Myfanwy?"

She shoved a piece of toast in his mouth as soon as the window was down far enough. "Mam said to make you eat this – she didn't want you leaving on an empty stomach."

Ianto growled a bit and took the bread dangling from his mouth and placed it on the dash. It was hardly out of his hand when Jack snatched it up and devoured it.

"And _I_ forgot to give you this - to put at work." She handed him an apple with three stick legs and almond stuck in it, finished off with an evergreen sprig on top. "It's for luck."

"Thanks," Ianto was touched, knowing that this was something that the girls insisted on giving to the most important of people. "I meant what I said. You should come visit. We could give you a tour of the city. We get a discount, you know."

"Right, get on before Mam comes out and drags you back in." Myfanwy kissed Ianto on the cheek before sprinting back into the house.

Making sure there was nothing behind him, Ianto pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. They were traveling for about half an hour when Jack turned to him.

"What is this?" He was holding the apple, trying to figure it out.

Ianto chuckled. "You can tell what an alien device is, but don't know what that is about? Sometimes you amaze me, Jack."

"No, really – tell me." Jack's head lolled on the seat.

"A Calenigg."

"Oh, well then, that explains it." Jack tossed it from hand to hand, rolling his eyes.

"You want the long story or the short one?" Ianto figured this was as good a way as any to pass the time.

"Short, please."

"We used to make them as kids and take them around the neighborhood and sing carols. People would give us a few pennies or candy in exchange for the luck the Calenigg would bring them. That good?"

"Perfect," Jack told him. "I can see wee Ianto going around and singing, his cheeks all rosy..."

"Hey now!" Ianto playful slapped at Jack, taking his eyes of the road for a moment to make sure he hit his mark. Not only did he hit Jack, but he managed to hit something in the road – something that blew a tire.

"Shit!" Ianto turned the wheel to pull of the road. "Jack, we have to fix this."

"How?" Jack frowned at Ianto.

"With the spare in the boot," Ianto spoke slowly, wondering why Jack had asked that question.

"Can't." Jack was looking everywhere but at Ianto.

"And why not?" Ianto's mouth went into a hard line.

Jack bit his lip and put his hand over his mouth, still looking at the floor. "becauseigotaflatlastweekanddidn'treplacethesparesothespareisflattoo..."

"What was that?" Ianto hoped he hadn't heard what he thought, but, knowing Jack, he prepared for the worst.

"I said," Jack repeated, clearer this time, "I got a flat last week and didn't have time to replace the spare before we left so the spare is flat too." He flashed his smile, hoping his charm would get him out of it.

Ianto smacked his forehead. "Wonderful. I'll just call Owen." He punched the number into his cell, but got the doctor's voicemail. Ianto looked over at Jack with a searing look and left a message for Owen. "Owen – Ianto. Call me when you get this. We're broken down and need you to come out."

"Wasn't there?" Jack asked, innocent.

Ianto was losing his cool. "I'm calling Gwen." He pressed her number in speed dial and got her voice mail as well. "Gwen!" He emoted after the beep. "It's Ianto. Please call me when you get this. Our brilliant leader and I are sitting with a flat tire and no replacement. We need your help."

"Two for two?" Jack had his own cell out. "_I'll_ call Tosh." He highlighted her name and dialed. Same thing – voice mail. "Tosh, sweetheart, most beautiful woman I know. I am stuck on the side of the road with a gorgeous Welshman. Please call me and tell me you can help."

"Well, that's that then," Ianto slumped in his seat. "Now what?"

"You hungry?" Jack asked him. "You are awfully cranky – you get that way when you don't eat."

"Shut up, Jack." Ianto shot back. "I'm going to take this time to switch out the front panel on the SUV that identifies us as Torchwood."

"Right." Jack said, "Brilliant idea, by the way."

Ianto opened his door. "Well, I couldn't have Mam and Tad asking what 'Torchwood' was, now can I? They don't know that I work for them."

Jack wanted to tell him the truth right there, remind him that his father had been in UNIT, but thought it wasn't exactly the best time for that – so, he kept quiet. "Still a good idea."

Ianto huffed as he walked around and got the tools he would need, silently cursing Jack in every curse word in every language he knew. Once he was finished, he dumped everything back in the boot and went back to the warmth of the car.

"You still mad?" Jack asked once he was seated.

"No," Ianto admitted. "Just wondering how you could forget something like that."

"I was excited about the trip." He was rooting in the basket. "Are you sure you don't want something? Mam packed Welsh taffy and some of the sugar cookies and bacon sandwiches and..." Jack stopped when he saw the look on Ianto's face.

"I'll take some coffee. But that's it." He was holding to the belief that they wouldn't need the basket of goodies.

"Come on. One bacon sandwich. You _know_ you want one." Jack was waving it in front of him, foil unwrapped.

Ianto tried, he really did. But, as soon as the smell hit him, his stomach growled. He let Jack feed him the first bite before ripping it from the man's hand. "This doesn't mean I condone goody baskets on trips," he tried to say around the crumbs that were flying from his mouth.

"No, I wouldn't think that," Jack laughed, pulling out the thermos and taking a drink before passing it to Ianto. "And don't backwash. Crumbs in coffee are icky." Ianto glared at him and Jack shrank in the seat. "Nevermind..."

It would be another five hours before they would be 'rescued'. When Gwen had shown up with Owen and Tosh, they had laughed and shared a buffet from the basket in the SUV before changing the tire and heading back to the Hub.

"Not that I didn't enjoy myself, but I sure am glad to be back," Jack said, running up the stairs to his office.

Gwen covered her face as she heard the shouting begin. Owen and Tosh froze in place.

"WHAT THE BLOODY BLUE BLAZES HAPPENED IN HERE?!?!?! DID SOMEONE LET A WEEVIL LOOSE IN MY OFFICE!?!?!" Jack was standing in the middle of what used to be his office, but was now a very lose interpretation of that. "IANTO!?!"

Ianto tried to hold a smirk in as he turned to his co-workers to explain. "That will teach him to kiss my brother..." Ignoring the questioning looks, he turned to the open door. "COMING, JACK!"


	17. Chapter 13 Conclusion

Title: Christmas With the Jones – Chapter 13

Pairing: Jack/Ianto

Genre: pure fun

Summary: The Adventures of Jack's Wii.

Disclaimer: I soooo don't own the two main characters, but, by some weird twist of fate, I own Ianto's family. Not that I wouldn't share if asked...

Author's Notes: So, here it is – the last chapter. But don't cry, there is more to be had. The next story - "Year of the Cat" is almost ready to go. Thinking about a chapter a week right now. Anyway, enjoy! (Oh, and, Patelyne – here is some angry!Yan for ya!)

**-**

"What's this, then?" Owen threw his coat on the couch as he looked at the projector screen Jack had set up. "A slide show of you and the Teaboy on holiday?"

"No, it isn't." Ianto narrowed his eyes at the medic as he fell on the couch. "Jack got a Wii for Christmas from my brother."

"Do you have a black eye?" Gwen came over to Ianto.

"Don't wanna talk about it..." The Welshman grumbled, taking a drink of the beer he was holding.

"Rough night in?" Owen asked.

"Don't wanna talk 'bout it, I said." If looks could have killed, Owen would have dropped.

"Who wants a game?" Jack clapped his hands together as he came down from the conference room. "Owen? Tosh?"

"What games do you have?" Gwen asked, stashing her things at her desk.

"Well, he bloody well has Wii Sports..." Ianto grumbled.

"I said I was sorry." Jack looked down at the man. "How many times do I have to apologize?"

Ianto just shot him an icy glare and took another drink, his eyes never moving from the man.

"I'll bowl a game with you," Gwen offered, picking up the Wii-mote.

"You know I hate to wear the wrist strap," Jack offered up as an apology, before taking Gwen up on her offer.

"I believe your term was 'sissified wrist strap'..."

"Yan," he turned back to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was going to slip."

"Of course not, how could you? Not like they warn you about it on a separate screen or anything." Sarcasm was one of Ianto's many fluencies. "Gwen, stand back when he throws the ball."

"The mystery is solved!" Owen exclaimed, falling on the couch beside Ianto. "You want me to look at that?"

"No."

"Fine, then, you can pout in pain." He tugged on Gwen's pant leg. "Set me up. I'll play a frame."

"How about you, Tosh?" Jack was putting in the players he had created earlier for each team member.

"I'm not really good with bowling." She looked up from her computer screen. "I'll sit this one out, if you don't mind."

"Right." Jack put himself, Gwen, and Owen in and they bowled a few rounds, Gwen always making sure that Jack had the strap on, as Ianto was sitting right behind him and she didn't think that he needed the other eye blacked.

"If Gwen makes this spare, it will be a miracle!" Ianto observed. "7-10 split is hard to pick up."

"Oh, hush you." She batted back at him, but, despite all her care in making sure Jack had his secure, she hadn't put her safety strap on yet.

Ianto watched as the controller came at him in what seemed like slow motion and he could do nothing to dodge it. It struck him in the other eye with as much force, if not more, than the other one had earlier in the day. "Bloody wank!" He clutched his eye.

Jack leapt over the coffee table and was on him in seconds. Owen was trying to pry Ianto's hand from his eye. Gwen stood covering her mouth in horror.

"What happened?" Tosh asked, raising her head from whatever she was working on.

"That devil machine attacked me! Again!" Ianto was kicking at anyone who tried to get near him.

"Dammit! Ianto, let me look at it." Owen pulled his hand roughly away to see it was already starting to bruise. "You got lucky twice. It didn't get your actual eye at all, did it?"

"Leave me alone, Owen," Ianto shrugged him off.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked bending to look at him. "Do you want ice for it?"

"I have something better." Tosh was coming back from the small refrigerator she kept near her desk with something in her hand. She pressed it to Ianto's face and he sighed. "There."

"Thank you." Ianto cooed. "You alone are my real friend."

"Oi! I was going to help you!" Owen looked over at Ianto for the first time. "But, you know, I think Zorro can do his own battles..."

"Enough," Tosh smacked at Owen. "It makes sense – both his eyes needed it. Besides, it will reduce the bags under his eyes."

"Hey!" Ianto corrected.

"Don't act like you don't have them. Why do you think I keep that in there?" Tosh hugged him and secured the mask in the back so he could move his head around. "Now, I think I _do _want to play,Jack."

"I think this game is over anyway." Jack looked to his colleagues for a nod, which he got. "What do you want to play?"

"Boxing." She held her chin up proudly.

"Are you sure, Tosh?" Ianto asked from where he was now reclined. "That's how this whole thing started."

"You were boxing with Jack?" Gwen sounded shocked.

"Don't sound so surprised. It's a great workout." Jack told them. "I'll go if you will."

"I'll take that challenge." Tosh took the other Wii-mote in hand and made a big show of tightening it.

"I got fifty on the plucky one." Ianto called, eyes closed.

"I'll take that," Owen countered.

"Hey! No bets!" Jack turned around and showed them he was also tightening the wrist strap.

Tosh and Jack were near the end of the game when Tosh landed a particularly good punch that K.O.'ed Jack. She smiled at him and he went to bow to her. Somehow, it went wrong and she ended up actually punching him. With the hand holding the controller.

"Son of a-" Jack yelled, grabbing his own eye.

Ianto fell into the couch and almost burst a gut laughing. "Looks like you'll need this, sir." He took the cooling mask off and pressed it to Jack's face.

"I'm sorry," Tosh said through what almost sounded like giggles.

"THAT'S IT!" Jack yelled, yanking the console from the table and pushing it roughly into Ianto's lap. "Lock this thing in the secure archives! It's now considered alien tech!"

"You owe me fifty, Owen," he declared with a smirk as he stood and went to Jack's office to do as he was told. He placed it in it's own box and locked it away for future Torchwood teams to find. But not before he smiled and muttered, "Obscene Machine."


End file.
